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A lANclLR BKl.AU .^LLLKR 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



RANDOM RAMBLES IN THE OLD WORLD 



BY 

ANGIE WARREN PERKINS 



With pen and ink sketches by the author 
and many illustrations from photographs 




RICHARD G. BADGER 

THE GORHAM PRESS 
BOSTON 



Copyright, 1912, by Richard G. Badger 



All Rights Reserved 






The Gorham Press, Boston, U, S. A. 

gCI.A3l2431 



TO 

THE MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY 

CONGENIAL AND HELPFUL COMPANIONS 

IN MANY DISTANT LANDS 



FOREWORD 

Considerations of health and pleasure took the 
different members of my family, — my husband, three 
daughters, and son, — abroad for periods varying 
from several months to two years. Traveling in dif- 
ferent groups, and in places widely separated we 
found many interesting sights and experiences. 
These were recorded at the time in the form of 
newspaper letters, principally by myself, but in sev- 
eral cases by one of my daughters. They are now 
rewritten and issued in this more enduring form in 
order to give them greater permanence, and with 
the hope that they may serve as a reminder of pleas- 
ant scenes to many who have made similar journeys, 
as well as inspire others to visit these places, not 
only for the genuine pleasure they afford, but es- 
pecially for their great educational value. 

Most of the illustrations are from photographs 
taken by my husband. 

Angie Warren Perkins 

Knoxville, Tennessee, 

January, igi2. 



THE VOYAGE 

Adieu, adieu ! my native shore 

Fades o'er the waters blue; 
The night-winds sigh, the breakers roar, 

And shrieks the wild sea-mew. 
Yon sun that sets upon the sea 

We follow in his flight ; 
Farewell awhile to him and thee. 

My native Land — Good Night! 

Childe Harolde. 



CONTENTS 

Chapter ^^^^ 

/ The Land of the Shamrock ....... 9 

II From Windermere to Bonnie Boon. 19 

/// Scenes in Old London •• 27 

IV Glimpses of Wales and Southern 

England . .,. . .1 • • • • 3° 

V Bits of Normandy and Brittany ... 46 

VI Winter Sports in Switzerland 64 

VII Christmas in the Fatherland 73 

VIII The Land of the Czar . 81 

IX The Political Situation in Russia — 

Seeing the Czar ... 9^ 

X A Russian Funeral • lOJ^ 

XI Our Second Christmas 108 

XII New Year's in Moscow ii? 

XIII The Women of the Spreewald 129 

XIV The Ascent of Mt. Vesuvius 136 

XV Egypt, the Cradle of Civilization. . 142 

XVI Jerusalem, the Holy City 161 

XVII On Syrian Slopes > I74 

XVIII Constantinople • .. 188 

XIX The Wonders of Ancient Greece. . 198 

XX The Dolomite Alps and Vienna. . . 209 

XXI The Healing Waters of Carlsbad. 220 

XXII Sunrise on the Rigi. • • 225 

XXIII Oberammergau After Thirty Years 240 



CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

XXIV Rothenhurg, the Quaintest Town in 

Germany 255 

XXV The Land of the Midnight Sun. ... 261 

XXVI On to Stockholm. .1. ., 279 

XXVII Copenhagen, Thorwaldsen and His 

Art . 289 

XXVIII The Chateau Country . .:. 302 

XXIX Sketches in Spain 309 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

A Tangier Bread Seller Frontispiece w^^ 

Facing Page 

Tintern Abbey .1. .... . 16 

The Kremlin ijt^ 

Tower of Ivan the Great 32*^ 

Bell in the Leaning Tower of Pisa. .......... 33 j.'- 

Descent of Vesuvius < 48»^' 

Egyptian Water Carriers. . . . . . . .1. . ... ...... 49 '<^ 

The Nile at Cairo . .,. . . 64 ^^ 

Market Scene at Kadasseh. .,. .1. ...... . . .1.. 65 [/- 

Shaduf, Upper Egypt . 80 »^ 

Nubian Bead Sellers 81 ^^ 

The Temple of Luxor 96 "^ 

An Egyptian Home . 97*^ 

Coptic Women Making Bread. 11 2*^ 

Going to Market. . . . 113^ 

Russian Pilgrims Kissing Stones outside of 

Gethsemane .1 128 

On Jordan's Banks. 129*^ 

Lunching on the Plain of Sharon. .1 144*^'^ 

Russian Pilgrims Journeying from Tiberias to 

Nazareth . 145''' 

Crossing the Jordan where it leaves the Sea of 

Galilee i6o»^ 

Largest Stone in the World. ;. ... i6i»^ 

Camel Loaded with Millet 176 

Ruins of Theatre at Ephesus. . . . . . . . .,. . ... 177 

Muezzin Calling the Hour of Prayer. ...1.... 192 

Athenian Treasury — Delphi ................. 193 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing Page 

Off for Aero — ^Corinth. . . . . .;. . . .<. .,. 208 ^ 

Temple of Hera — Olympia. .. .1. ........ .. 209' 

Crossing the Mer de Glace. ... .1. . . . . . . ... . . . 224*^ 

St. Moritz , 225^'' 

Tony Lang . . . ,. ... . . ., ,. .. 240'' 

Naero Fjord ,. . 241*^ 

A Lapp Family 2561^ 

Ganymede and the Eagle 257/ 

Peasant's House near Blois. 1. 2721^ 

Threshing and Sifting Barley. . . .,. . . . . ... .,. . 273 v^ 

The Alcazar — Seville . 288*^ 

Treasury of Ferdinand and Isabella. ....... 289 \/ 

Lawyer's Office — Tangier . 3201 

Homeward Bound 321 \/ 



TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS 

The Blarney Stone 11 

Colleen Bringing Home the Peat. . . . . . . . . ... 15 

Old Curiosity Shop . ., 28 

Where Am I 70 

A Russian Sledge 87 

With Deep Affection and Recollection I often 

think of the Shandon Bells ............ 124 

Women of the Spreewald 132 

An Egyptian Funerary Sail-Boat 147 

Buffalo Cows in the Nile 152 

Only a Slight Exaggeration 158 

Tower of David. Crusader's Cross . 164 

Two Women Shall be Grinding at the Mill. . 172 



TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS 

Mosque ,...,..., ,. 195 

Door of the Rathaus ,. . ,. . . 258 

A Lapp's Tent 275 

A Danish Milk-Cart 292 

Salamander, Emblem of Francis I. .1. ./ 303 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 

CHAPTER I 
The Land of the Shamrock 

THE revolving light of Fastnet Rock is 
hailed with joy as the "Cymric" comes In 
sight of this bit of land, after an eight 
days' voyage. Head winds and high seas 
have greatly retarded her progress during the latter 
half of the course. In the darkness the ship's name 
is signalled, and then she hastens on toward the har- 
bor of Queenstown. About midnight we descry the 
red and green lights of a tender putting out from the 
wharf to take off the passengers who wish to land at 
this port. As it comes flitting over the waves wc 
realize that our voyage is over. Soon the good-byes 
are said to fellow-passengers who have sat up to see 
us off, and we have gone down the long gang-plank. 
From the hurricane deck of a great ocean liner 
down to the cabin of a tender is a long distance, but 
we do not realize It till, standing near the stern of 
the little bobbing boat, we look up with awe at the 
great steamer, as it towers so far above us. It Is 
with a feeling akin to respect that a passenger thus 
views the mammoth vessel which has brought him 
In safety over the turbulent seas. 

Farewells are waved to the friends on the deck 
which has been our world for a week, and now we 
turn our gaze toward the city which is reached In 
about half an hour. Four torpedo boat destroyers 
In the harbor make us think of England's navy, 
whose boats were seen by us throughout our trip on 

9 



lo OUR YEAR ABROAD 

all seas. The next morning we are reminded of the 
quickness at repartee of the Celt, when, as we are 
out viewing the town, and it begins to sprinkle, we 
ask some children on their way to school, if it is 
going to rain, and a bright eyed girl of about eight 
years replies: '"Tis raining." The natives are ever 
ready with a reply to any question, no matter what 
it may be, as was shown when a party of tourists 
were passing through Dublin, and one of them asked 
the driver who the three figures on top of the post- 
office building were, and he replied: "The twelve 
apostles, sir." 

"But," said the man, "there are only three, where 
are the other nine." 

"Oh," said Pat, "the others are down below sort- 
in' mail." 

As one enters Ireland from Queenstown he begins 
to see beauties of nature and luxuriant vegetation 
which well nigh rival that of California. Flowers 
of all kinds are most abundant. Hedges of fuchsias, 
twelve feet high, remind one of those on the Pacific 
coast, except that the blossoms are much smaller. 
Even palms flourish In the southern part of the coun- 
try where It is moist, and the air Is "soft," as the 
people say. A few miles from Cork we seek 

"The Groves of Blarney 
They look so charming, 
Down by the purling 
Of sweet silent streams." 

And find the old castle all that Imagination had pic- 
tured it. We climb the well worn stone steps and 
have a fine view of the surrounding country from the 
turret. It is only the most intrepid who are brave 
enough to be held In an Inverted position down over 
the edge of the wall till they can kiss "the stone that 
contains all the Blarney." 



THE LAND OF THE SHAMROCK 1 1 

The region around Cork is extremely fertile and 
has some good farms. They told us in the butter 
market of that city, where hundreds of kegs, holding 
seventy pounds each, are sold every morning, that 
Cork county butter is used extensively in England 
and in other countries. To prove the almost world- 
wide fame which this brand of butter has had for so 
many years they say, that when the relief expedition 
was sent in search of Sir John Franklin, they found 




The Blarney Stone 

a keg of Cork county butter in the ice of the Polar 
seas, and when the English soldiers went to the Nile 
under Wellington, he insisted that they should be 
supplied with Cork county butter. 

The prices of many things in the general market 
in Cork are not unlike our own, while others differ 
greatly. Irish beef is considered superior to Ameri- 
can, but, perhaps it would not be, if, as one dealer 
said to us, half apologetically, fearing we might feel 
hurt, it were not kept in cold storage for three 
months. Native sirloin cuts are worth eleven pence 
per pound, while American are some two pence less. 



12 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

Celery is only two to three pence a bunch, and mush- 
rooms six pence per pound, but the celery is not so 
well bleached as ours is. Eggs are one shiUing and 
three pence a dozen, (thirty cents) . There seems to 
be no reason for the high price in eggs, because the 
climate is so mild that fowls can be kept out of doors 
the whole year. And the same can be said in refer- 
ence to beef. In going from Bantry through Glen- 
garriff to Killarney— a coaching trip of fifty-one miles 
—-one sees thousands of acres on hill and mountain 
side which might be utihzed for grazing purposes. 
Some of this pasturage is covered with furze, gorse, 
or heather, but in the first forty miles of this ride, I 
do not think that we saw a dozen sheep or twenty- 
five cattle. Sometimes a few pigs, hens, or a stray 
goat would be wandering near a cottage or cabin. 
These little^ houses are everywhere one story high 
and are built of stone, whitewashed, and covered 
with thatch which consists of wheat, or oat straw, 
though sometimes a kind of sedge is used for this 
purpose. This kind of a roof, if well put on with 
pins and cords, will last five years. These houses 
are usually placed beside a large boulder, or a clump 
of trees, and are picturesque in appearance, but in- 
side they are dark, damp, and cold with their dirt 
or cement floors, small windows, and unhygienic ar- 
rangements. Some of those belonging to the Earl 
of Northurnberland have recently been condemned 
as unfit habitations. 

Southwestern Ireland is attractive with its bogs, 
islands, and mountains, rivalling and even surpass- 
ing in some places the scenery of England and Scot- 
land. Rains are frequent, though our driver said it 
was ''simply the mountains perspiring," when sheets 
of rain hid them from view. One never tires of the 
forests with the holly trees, full of great clusters of 
bright red berries; the arbutus trees, with the fruit 



THE LAND OF THE SHAMROCK 13 

of yellow and red; the pines; the giant sycamores; 
the hawthorne, with the dark red berries, and many 
others, some of which are just putting on their au- 
tumn tints. The English ivy grows in the wildest 
profusion, interlacing trunks and branches, while 
underneath, rocks and walls are covered with bright 
green moss in which grow the ferns and shamrock. 
Grouse, partridge, pheasant, rabbit and hare delight 
the hunter, but much of the forest is owned by the 
lords, and is held as a shooting preserve where one 
cannot hunt without paying a license. The waters 
abound in trout, salmon, and other kinds of fish, but 
here, too, the fisherman must pay for his sport. Sal- 
mon are so common that you can see them jump in 
the water. 

The far-famed lakes of Killarney are most beauti- 
ful, but it is their setting in the midst of purple moun- 
tains which renders them especially attractive. They 
are very irregular in outline, dotted with islands, and 
fringed with fens, but they are not as large as we 
had expected to see them, and, as one American lady 
said: — "They cannot hold a candle to our Thousand 
Isles." Lake Gqorge would, in our opinion, equal 
any one of them in beauty, were it surrounded with 
mountains as high. But this region is in itself far 
more beautiful than the English lake district, though 
the latter has that local association which Words- 
worth with his Dove cottage, and Ruskin, and many 
other Englishmen have given it — writers whose 
names and presence have rendered that region a de- 
lightful memory. Neither has there been any Walter 
Scott to chronicle the deeds of heroes, and to make 
the "Lady of the Lake," and "Rob Roy," living 
characters for the traveler who sails the Scottish 
lakes. The country becomes less mountainous and 
more fertile as we near Limerick while here, and in 
the northern part of Ireland the farms are well kept. 



14 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

Better buildings, finer hedge-rows, pastures, in which 
herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and geese are 
feeding, are seen in various places — all of which be- 
token greater prosperity. 

We wished to see the poorest part of the country, 
and so went to the western coast. One person told 
us that we should feel as if we were on the other side 
of the earth when we reached Galway, and to some 
extent that was true. This old city presents a curious 
combination of dilapidation and decay, but with 
some signs of improvement and prosperity. On 
some of the houses, in the oldest parts of the town, 
may be seen sculptured fagades and coats of arms in 
curious contrast with the surrounding squalor. The 
city is admirably situated for commercial purposes, 
but for some years the general trade has been dimin- 
ishing. At present there are only two flour mills in 
the town, whereas twenty-five years ago there were 
twenty. And most of the wheat, ground in the pres- 
ent mills, is brought from Canada, Australia and 
Russia. In Cork are flour mills that are going to 
ruin because they can bring flour from Minnesota 
more cheaply than they can produce it at home. 
Even the deep sea fisheries in the vicinity of Galway 
are in a languishing condition, though the fishing 
grounds in the harbor are as good as any in the 
kingdom. 

The fishing village of Claddagh adjoins the town, 
and is occupied by about 500 fishermen who may be 
regarded as representing the original Celtic inhabi- 
tants of this locality. In fact, this part of Ireland is 
the home of the very Celts themselves, as is shown 
by the signs over the stores which are given In both 
English and Irish. We ride in a jaunting car out to 
Menlough, about four miles from the city, and there 
find a hamlet where the people and their methods 
of living are extremely primitive. We see only two 



THE LAND OF THE SHAMROCK 1 5 

persons in the village who can speak English — even 
the driver cannot understand the Irish tongue. He 
says it was not taught in the schools when he was a 
boy, but now both English and Irish are taught in 
many places. 




Colleen Bringing Home the Peat 

It is difficult to tell just what has been the cause of 
the lack of enterprise and prosperity in southern Ire- 
land. No doubt many of the most energetic have 
gone to America, while others have become lax 
through indifference, or because they thought that if 
they improved the land, a higher rent would be 
charged. But the Irish people can never forget Par- 
nell who put his hand to the plough, so that some of 
the tenants have been able to purchase the land on 
the instalment plan. They claim that the farmers 
and laborers in the country regions, and the dwellers 
in cities, which depend upon the farms for their 
prosperity, owe their present condition, so different 
from what it was thirty years ago, to this man whom 
they call "Ireland's Uncrowned King." 

The people are greatly interested in regard to the 
legislation pending concerning Home Rule and Land 



1 6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

Holdings; but there are so many conflicting opinions 
in regard to the merits of the bill, which will allow 
the farmer to own more land, that one can hardly 
judge concerning it. A bright lawyer told us that it 
would be most injurious to both landlord and tenant, 
while the latter class hold that its passage will insure 
them a continuance of the prosperity — which has 
come to them since 1903 when a bill was passed 
whereby they were allowed to purchase land till last 
November. This morning we asked our driver — an 
intelligent man — if the bill would benefit the work- 
ing people and he said: — "Me and the likes of me 
would prefer to have the gintlemin in the counthry 
for they can give us more imploymint than the farm- 
ers will." An old, sweet faced Irish gentlewoman 
said it was hard on her because she would have to 
sell her "dower home." Though she had other es- 
tates, and did not now occupy this one, given her at 
the time of her marriage, still we could see that she 
had a very tender feeling for the home into which 
she came as a bride. 

The people regard America as a friendly country. 
The other day in a tram a gentleman, belonging to 
the national party, was introduced to us by a mutual 
friend, whereupon the newcomer exclaimed, much to 
our embarrassment, and lifting high his hat: "Amer- 
ica, ever the friend of Ireland. I would take off my 
hat to the stars and stripes, the flag that has given 
protection to so many of my countrymen." One 
finds churches of various denominations in different 
parts of the country, but they are generally recog- 
nized as Catholic or Protestant, as was shown when 
we asked a man if a certain church were Presby- 
terian, and he replied: "No, mam. it is Protestant." 

But it is a beautiful country, and nowhere have we 
found anything more interesting than the Giant's 
Causeway which no one, who comes to Ireland, 




TIXTERN ABBEY 



THE LAND OF THE SHAMROCK 1 7 

should fail to visit. There is nothing like it except 
Fingall's cave, and it has a character of its own, as 
peculiar as it is wonderful. Tradition says that it 
was built so that a noted giant in Scotland could 
come over and fight a giant in this country. After 
the former had come to Ireland, and had been de- 
feated by his antagonist the latter invited him to re- 
main, which he did. Then there was no need for the 
causeway and it sank into t.ie sea. However true 
may be the legend there is a similar though smaller 
formation on the Scottish coast opposite that on this 
side. The 40,000 basaltic pillars, which compose 
the Causeway, have either five or six sides, and many 
of them are about twenty feet in length and twenty 
inches in diameter. They are all divided into shorter 
sections, each with a convex base fitting into a con- 
cave top below it, and all are so neatly cut that it 
seems impossible to believe that they were not made 
by hand, instead of being produced by shrinking or 
contracting when they were in a very hot state. The 
arrangement of the columns is such that they are 
likened in different places to various objects. There 
is the amphitheatre, the pulpit, the organ, the lion's 
head, and many other forms, all of which can be 
easily discerned. 

Longer would we tarry in this country so full of 
interest and which, we believe, has a great future. 
Many things are there which indicate prosperity. 
Industrial plants are being established, and, while 
some of the home industries, such as weaving and 
lace making, are not carried on in the homes as ex- 
tensively as of yore, yet lace is made in the convents, 
and Lady Aberdeen has established a school in Dub- 
lin where girls can go and learn the art. The weav- 
ing is mostly done In the factories. Belfast especially 
is a great industrial centre for this line of work. 
Formerly the farmers burned their own lime used on 



1 8 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

the farms, but now it is made in the towns in large 
quantities. Plants for the manufacture of farm 
machinery are being established — all of which show 
the signs of the times. 

As we were leaving Galway in the rain, and were 
looking out of the car window at the rocky, barren 
soil, and the general poverty of the people we were 
full of pity, and to divert our thoughts began to read 
the "Irish Times," which we had just bought. The 
title "Brighter Homes Exhibition" caught our eye, 
and we read that the Galway County Agricultural 
committee had offered three prizes for the "best 
kept cottage and holding." Then it gave the names 
of the winners, and the amounts of the prizes. Surely 
we thought this in itself is a most helpful indication, 
for it shows that the people are really trying to help 
themselves. Soon we looked out of the window 
again. It had stopped raining, the sun was shining 
brightly, and everything looked fresh and green, 
while, far above, spanning the heavens, with ends 
even touching the earth, was a most beautiful rain- 
bow with every color of the spectrum sharply de- 
fined, and, as we gazed upon this never-to-be-forgot- 
ten scene, it seemed as if it were a veritable bow of 
promise for this land and people. 



CHAPTER II 

From Windermere to "Bonnie Doon" 

TO visit the homes and haunts of those who 
have made England and Scotland famous 
in the world of letters redoubles one's in- 
terest in the works of these writers and 
gives an additional charm to their message, whether 
it be in prose or poetry. One cannot see the Lake 
region of England, with its mountains and hills, 
without realizing that nature has done her part 
toward inspiring those who appreciated its grandeur. 
Lake Windermere is really the beginning of the 
English Lake District and, throughout its length of 
twelve miles, it is dotted with islands, large and 
small, most of which retain the ancient Saxon name 
of Holme, meaning island. Although the scenery 
around the southern part of the lake is very beauti- 
ful, yet it has none of the grandeur which character- 
izes the northern half where the hills or fells become 
promontories, and mountain peaks overlook them 
all. Occasionally one finds a castle which was the 
scene of many strifes in the days of the Tudor kings. 
Mrs. Hemans lived for a time in Wray castle, 
situated on the western shore, and she was "so de- 
lighted with the spot that she scarcely knew how to 
leave it." 

Furness Abbey, which stands some distance from 
the lake, is the most interesting ruin in the north of 
England. This monastery was founded in 1 127, but 
all that is left to attest its ancient splendor are the 
walls, pillars and arches. There is something al- 
most pathetic in this pile, as one thinks how, — 

19 



20 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

"Long years have darkened into time since vespers 
here were rung, 

And here has been no other dirge than what the 
winds have sung; 

And now the drooping ivy wreaths, in ancient clus- 
ters fall, 

And moss o'er each crevice hath grown upon the 
sculptured wall." 

Not far from Windermere is Coniston Lake, where 
one finds the grammar school in which Wordsworth, 
his brother, and several other well known men re- 
ceived their early education. Wordsworth's name 
is cut in one of its benches and it was probably done 
by himself when a pupil. Nearly opposite is the cot- 
tage where he roomed for nine years when he was at 
school. In one of the two small bed rooms above, 
the boy must have slept, for to it he refers in the 
"Prelude," when he says — 

"That lowly bed whence I had heard the wind 
Roar, and the rain beat hard; where I so oft 
Had lain awake on summer nights to watch 
The moon in splendor couched among the leaves 
Of a tall ash that near our cottage stood." 

The embryo poet would seem not only to have 
lain awake at nights, but to have been an early riser, 
for we find him in the same poem saying: "Oft be- 
fore the hour of school I traveled round our little 
lake, five miles of pleasant wandering." Here, per- 
chance, this boy imbibed that love of field and flower 
that made him the great poet of nature. 

Near here is Brantwood where Ruskin lived for 
thirty years and here, in sight of the mountains and 
lakes he loved so well, was he interred. At the head 
of his grave is a beautifully carved cross, bearing 
the simple inscription: — John Ruskin, 1 8 19-1900. 



WINDERMERE TO BONNIE BOON 21 

It is made of the hard green stone of the Coniston 
Fells, and the carvings symbolize his works in the 
order in which they appeared. 

From Ambleside, at the head of Lake Winder- 
mere, one can traverse the district by coach and 
from its top obtain a fairly good idea of the beauty 
of the region. Ambleside is practically the center 
of the lake district and no matter which way one 
travels he is reminded of the noted persons who 
have lived in the vicinity. Here in this little town, 
which is half encircled by stately hills, dwelt Har- 
riet Martineau, while just north of the village is 
Rydal Mount, the house in which Wordsworth spent 
his married life and the place where he died in 1850. 
It is a plain two-story house, mantled over here and 
there with roses, ivy and jasmine. A foot-path, "a 
little hoary line and faintly traced," as the poet de- 
scribes it, leads from the rear of the house along the 
hillside to Grasmere. Across the road is Rydal 
Water with its several islets, while the hills, by 
which it is surrounded, are strikingly beautiful. 

"Like a fair sister of the sky, 
Unruffled doth the blue lake lie, 
The mountains looking on." 

On the right Nab Scar rears its rocky front, and 
at its foot is Nab cottage, with its little porch, where 
Hartley Coleridge, son of the poet, lived and died in 
1849. 

The road leads to Grasmere and on the edge of 
this village is Dove Cottage, where Wordsworth 
and his sister lived before his marriage, and which 
was afterwards the residence of De Quincy for 
twenty-seven years. The latter gave this description 
of it when he visited Wordsworth in 1807: — "A 
white cottage with two yew trees breaking the glare 
of its walls. A little semi-vestibule between two 



22 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

doors prefaced the entrance into what might be con- 
sidered the principal room of the cottage. It was 
oblong, not above eight and a half feet high, sixteen 
feet long and twelve feet broad; wainscoted from 
floor to ceiling with dark polished oak. One win- 
dow there was, a perfect and unpretentious cottage 
window, with little diamond panes, embowered in 
summer with roses and in autumn with jasmine and 
shrubs. We were ushered up a flight of steps, four- 
teen in all, to a little drawing room, or whatever you 
may choose to call it." Wordsworth himself has de- 
scribed the fire-place of this room as his "half 
kitchen and half parlor fire." "It was not quite seven 
feet six inches high," De Quincy goes on to say, "and 
in other respects pretty nearly of the same dimen- 
sions as the rustic hall below. There was, however, 
in a small recess a library of perhaps 300 volumes, 
which seemed to consecrate the place as the poet's 
study and composing room, and such occasionally it 
was. But far oftener, he both studied, as I found, 
and composed on the high road." 

Wordsworth himself remarks in his writings: 
"Nine-tenths of my verses have been murmured out 
in the open air." When Wordsworth was to receive 
a visit from Sir Walter Scott there was no guest 
chamber at Dove Cottage and a small addition was 
made to the study and the walls of this, the sister 
papered with copies of the village newspaper. Much 
of the furniture is the same as It was when Words- 
worth occupied the house. The grates remain un- 
changed and his arm chair still stands near one of 
them where the poet used to toast bread. 

In the garden, beside the back door, Is growing 
the syrlnga bush which the poet planted, while near 
by are the stone steps, that he laid, leading up to the 
apple trees, that were also set out by himself. Be- 
side the well, the large leaved primroses, set out by 



WINDERMERE TO BONNIE DOON 23 

him and his sister, are growing. The hidden rill still 
sings as of yore — 

"If you listen, all is still. 
Save a little neighboring rill, 
That from out the rocky ground 
Strikes a solitary sound." 

Small is the cottage ; very small the rooms that are 
in it; smallest of country gardens is the little patch 
of green at the back; yet one of the greatest poets 
of the century spent eight and a half years here, and 
under its humble roof wrote his best poems. Truly — 

"Man wants but little here below 
Nor wants that little long." 

The village of Grasmere is situated at the head 
of the lake of that name, while both are in a valley 
that is "among steep hills and woods embosomed." 
Here was the poet buried under an old yew tree in 
the village churchyard. It is the church of the "Ex- 
cursion" and in this poem the church and the vale 
are most graphically pictured by Wordsworth. In 
his death he and the scenes he loved were not di- 
vided. Calmly he sleeps in one of the loveliest of 
those lovely spots which his muse has described with 
so much feeling, and his tombstone is in excellent 
harmony with that simplicity of character for which 
in life he was distinguished. 

As we go up the valley we skirt the base of Hel- 
vellyn which rises over 3,000 feet and commands a 
view of the Isle of Man on the south and the Scotch 
hills on the north. It was from Grasmere that 
Wordsworth accompanied Scott to the summit of 
Helvellyn, and this same route was taken by the 
Prince of Wales in 1857. 

Derwentwater, one of the most beautiful of the 



24 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

English lakes, is near Keswick, and on its east bank 
is Friar's Crag where a monument has been erected 
to the memory of Ruskin. Below a medallion of the 
writer's head are the words: "The first that I re- 
member was my nurse bringing me to Friar's Crag 
when I was three years old." At the head of the 
lake is the far-famed waterfall of Lodore, and 
Southey's well known lines: "How does the water 
come down at Lodore?" recur to mind. One always 
associates Keswick with Southey, for here the poet 
lived for forty years in Greta Hall which stands on 
an eminence in the north part of the town, and is al- 
most hidden from view by the foliage of the trees in 
which it seems embowered. The scenery, visible from 
the library window, was, in after years exquisitely 
sketched by Southey himself, in the beautiful lines, 
beginning: — "'Twas at that sober hour, when the 
light of the day is receding." Like Wordsworth 
this poet was laid to rest in his village churchyard, 
and the old edifice dates back to the middle of the 
twelfth century. The monument, erected to his 
memory, was placed in the interior of the church. 
It consists of a pedestal of Caen stone, on which re- 
poses a full length figure in white marble. As a 
faithful likeness of Southey, as well as a work of 
art, it is said to possess great merit. The epitaph 
was written by Wordsworth, his successor in the 
laureateship. 

Leaving Keswick by rail we soon reach Carlisle, 
an interesting walled town which saw many an en- 
counter between the border peoples. Before we 
come to the town we begin to see the hawthorn hedge 
replaced by stone walls, and no longer do we find an 
abundance of flowers and beautiful green fields. The 
country is more hilly, and each acre does not seem 
to be so well cultivated as in the south of England. 
Soon after leaving Carlisle we cross into Scotland, 



WINDERMERE TO BONNIE DOON 25 

and in some places can be seen vestiges of the old 
wall built by the Romans, 

At Dumfries we are reminded that we are in the 
land of Bobbie Burns by the many ways in which the 
name of the poet is applied to restaurants, shops, etc. 
In this city did he spend the last years of his life, and 
here is he buried in the yard of St. Michael's church. 

The house in which he died is kept by his grand- 
daughter, who is almost as anxious to show the 
Americans a photograph of their President, sent her 
by Roosevelt himself, as she is to exhibit Burns' cup 
and punch bowl. As a proof of the extreme poverty 
in which he left his wife we see the hammer used by 
the auctioneer when he sold his household effects. 
We follow a narrow street and turn into a long 
alley where we find the Globe Inn in which Burns 
spent many an evening with his boon companions, 
and his chair is still standing in the corner of the 
room. The place has not changed and, it being Sat- 
urday night, when the men are free from the week's 
care, they have come here for a good time, and their 
condition makes the place seem all the more real. 

About two miles out in the country is the farm 
where Burns lived after the death of his father and 
where he wrote the "Ode to a Daisy," and here is 
the field in which he turned up the nest of a mouse. 

If the traveler stops at Dumfries to see the place 
where Burns spent his last years he will not be con- 
tented till he has visited the scenes of his early life 
in the old town of Ayr, situated at the mouth of the 
river of that name. There are various reminders of 
the poet in this city, but the thatched roof and 
weather-beaten appearance of the Tam o' Shanter 
Inn lend credulity to the assertion that this was one 
of the resorts of Burns, and In it he probably wrote 
that well known poem. From this point did Tam 
start on his homeward ride and if wc go with him 



26 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

we, too, shall pass the Alloway Kirk, three miles 
from the city. The picturesque walls of the old edi- 
fice are still standing, and, if it were night, we should 
almost expect to see the witches through the window 
which is pointed out as the one where Tam got a 
sight of them. But we hurry on to the "Brig o' 
Doon" where the horse Meg lost her tail and Tam 
thereby escaped. Here we find a fine old bridge, ap- 
parently as good as it was 400 years ago. The 
ground In the immediate vicinity is laid out In a finely 
terraced garden, abounding in shrubs and flowers — 
very different, we fancy, from what it was when the 
poet wandered along the "Banks and Braes o* Bon- 
nie Doon." Near by is a monument erected to the 
memory of the poet and containing some interesting 
articles. 

The birthplace of Burns, not far from the Kirk, Is 
modest In appearance and the living rooms are quite 
rude and uninviting, being adjacent to the stalls in 
which his father kept the cows. Various pieces of 
furniture belonging to the Burns family are to be 
seen here, while In a neighboring building Is a mu- 
seum containing a most Interesting collection of arti- 
cles pertaining to his life — first editions of his 
poems, pictures Illustrating his books, etc. 

This early home of Burns Is said to be visited 
yearly by more Scotchmen than Is Abbotsford, and 
it is claimed that the author of "The Cotter's Satur- 
day Night" is loved far more deeply than is the 
bard who led Rob Roy through the "darksome glens 
and wildest nooks of the deep Trossachs." 



CHAPTER III 

Scenes in Old London 

"Old London may be smoky, 
Old London may be choky, 
But we love old London still." 

SO runs the ditty, and it touches a responsive 
chord in the heart of many a wanderer from 
the New World. 
Westminster Abbey and the Parliament 
buildings may loom up gloomy through the fog, but 
once within their walls the interest never flags. If 
it rains, the time can be profitably spent in the vari- 
ous art galleries and in the British Museum, though 
England has no gallery of painting and sculpture 
which can compare with the Louvre, the Prado, the 
Zwinger at Dresden, the Hermitage at St. Peters- 
burg, the art of Florence, or the treasures of the 
Vatican. 

If one is seeking for places where great historical 
events have transpired, he will find more here that 
have affected the destiny of the English race than in 
any other city of the world. For the literary de- 
votee the field is unsurpassed. Fleet street and its 
neighborhood are full of associations that make us 
love to tarry on its narrow walks and penetrate Its 
dark alleys. This is the royal entrance to London 
proper, for the real city of London is only about 
three miles in circumference, and Is very small com- 
pared with the so-called metropolis. Across Fleet 
Street stood Temple Bar which was literally the gate 
to London and was removed only about forty years 

27 



28 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



ago when a granite column, surmounted by a griffin, 
was erected in the middle of the street. And at the 
present time, as of yore, when the king enters Lon- 
don, the Lord Mayor meets him at this place and 
presents him with the keys of the city. 

On this street, or in the vicinity, many of the lit- 
erary men of Doctor Johnson's time lived, and in 
the Cheshire Cheese lunch room they had their ren- 
dezvous. We can almost see the old doctor himself, 
shambling along, as he hastens to join "Bozzy" and 
Goldsmith for their accustomed dinner which often 
had on its bill of fare a pudding composed of beef- 




Old Curiosity Shop 

Steak, larks, kidneys, oysters and mushrooms, while 
for seasoning, spices were used whose ingredients 
were kept a secret, so the cook informs us, as she 
shows the immense bowls in which the pudding was 
cooked in Dr. Johnson's day. In one corner of the 
kitchen was an immense cauldron in which we saw a 
pudding boiling that would weigh fifty pounds, and 
was to be served that day at luncheon. They cook 
this kind of a pudding there at the present time twice 
a week, and it has to be boiled all night and till one 
o'clock the next day. But it is certain that this trio 
of notables often partook of this dish, and we can 
easily imagine that it was in this same lunch room 



SCENES IN OLD LONDON 29 

that the fate of the "Vicar of Wakefield" was de- 
cided, when Dr. Johnson himself kindly loaned its 
author a pound, and later found him a publisher. 
In the chamber above is the chair of this renowned 
lexicographer and a copy of the first edition of his 
dictionary. The room in which he lived is now used 
as a store room by a picture dealer on Fleet street. 
Its handsomely carved mantel was purchased some 
years ago for the Kensington Museum at a cost of 
eight thousand pounds. Goldsmith's room was in 
the Temple, as the group of buildings where the 
barristers have always had their lodgings is called. 
Directly under the apartment which Goldsmith occu- 
pied, Blackstone lived at one time, and in the same 
house Thackeray lodged in after years. 

Goldsmith's grave is a simple mound beside the 
Temple Church in which are to be seen the graves of 
some of the Crusaders. But the banquet hall, where 
the barristers are wont to get their meals at the 
present time, is most replete with interest, for here, 
it is claimed, Shakespeare recited "Twelfth Night" 
before Queen Elizabeth. The long table in this 
room was given by this queen. It came from Wind- 
sor Forest, and is of mammoth dimensions, its top 
being some fifty feet long, three feet wide, and four 
inches thick. It was so large that they had to take 
it in through a window in the side of the building. 
It was on this table that Queen Elizabeth signed the 
death warrant of Mary, Queen of Scots. The beau- 
tifully carved open screen across the front of the gal- 
lery is probably the finest in the world. 

The building in which the law courts were held is 
just across Fleet Street from the Temple, and the 
barristers don their wigs and gowns in their rooms 
and scurry over to their respective places in the 
Court of the King's Bench. 

We attended part of a session in one of the chan- 



30 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

eery courts and found it most interesting. The case 
being tried was one where two young men, somewhat 
ignorant of the ways of the world, had been induced 
to put their money into sort of a bogus scheme. 
The judges wore plain gray wigs and black gowns 
with red cuffs and collars, while the barristers had 
on wigs with curls which looked as if they were 
fresh from the hands of the hair-dresser, and their 
gowns were all black. A witness was being cross- 
examined and occasionally one of the solicitors 
would suggest to the barrister some question to be 
asked. A solicitor never pleads, but simply gathers 
the material in the case, and advises the client what 
barrister to employ to do the pleading. A barrister 
obtains his parchment, signed by the king, through 
study and examination, while a solicitor pays for his 
to a certain extent. The former can never seek 
clients, but the latter is allowed to find them when- 
ever It is possible. We were told that In this specific 
case each barrister probably received forty or fifty 
pounds as a retaining fee, and then two pounds per 
day throughout the trial. 

In another court, the same day, a case was being 
tried which became very famous. A Dr. Bodie 
claimed that he had a physician's degree from an 
American medical school, and he was pretending to 
perform wonderful cures by means of his arts and 
skill. He had Induced a young countryman to pay 
him a thousand pounds, for which he promised to 
teach him the methods employed. He failed to do 
so, and now the duped man was bringing suit against 
the doctor. When the young man's solicitor sought 
for the place In America where this doctor claimed 
he obtained his degree, he could find no town with 
such a name, except a small village In North Caro- 
lina, where there was a negro school. It Is needless 
to say that justice was satisfied, and the young man 



SCENES IN OLD LONDON 31 

regained his thousand pounds. 

We also visited the court where England's chief 
justice, Lord Alverstone, was presiding. He is a 
great favorite with the people and certainly has a 
most kindly face, which looks out from a plain gray 
wig, while his red robe, with its ermine trimmings, 
gives him quite an air distingue. 

A visit to Buckingham palace should be extended 
to the stables, for the horses of the royal family are, 
in their way, as interesting as their owners. One 
hundred and fifty animals can be seen there in stables 
with tile fronts, and drugget at the sides where they 
are likely to rub themselves, a regal abode compared 
with the homes of the submerged half of London's 
population. The horses are all bay or black, except 
the five pairs of cream-colored ones which are never 
allowed to trot, and are used only on Lord Mayor's 
day, the opening of parliament and at a coronation. 

One of the attendants told us that when the queen 
is in town they always keep a basket of carrots cut 
up, ready for her to feed to the horses, for she is 
fond of visiting the stables, and petting the animals. 
She does not hesitate to go into the stalls beside 
them, when a hostler stands near their heels. Near 
by are the immense buildings in which the princes 
and princesses learn to ride horseback, and engage 
In such exercise on rainy days. At one end is a win- 
dow, overlooking the ring, and here Queen Victoria 
used to come and sit and watch her children as they 
rode. Thfe beautiful gold and sllver-trlmmed har- 
nesses and carriages can be seen in rooms adjoining 
the stables. The finest carriage, used only on state 
occasions, cost over $35,000 and weighs four tons. 
It Is gilded and painted most gorgeously. There Is 
no place on It for a driver, but postillions guide the 
horses. 

There Is quite a contrast between this part of Lon- 



32 OUR YEAR ABROAD 



i 



don and the east end where the "other half" live, or 
exist. A ride along Mile End road and Whitechapel 
shows some of the degradation of the great city, but 
to see the worst and wickedest portion, one should 
walk through Brick Lane and Petticoat Lane. 

It was with some hesitancy that a friend and my- 
self started for these noted places, because we had 
been told by one lady that a gentleman friend of hers 
was stopped by a policeman late in the afternoon as 
he was making a short cut through these districts, 
and was told that he must not go there alone. At 
night two policemen always go together among these 
quarters. When we reached the neighborhood we 
asked a "bluecoat" if it were safe for two women to 
go through these lanes alone, and he said, "Think 
you'll find a policeman up there." My friend did 
not consider this reply very reassuring, so after we 
had started for Brick Lane, we turned back and vis- 
ited Toynbee Hall, which is the mother of all social 
settlement work, both in Europe and America. When 
we came out of this institution we saw the policeman 
wandering up toward Brick Lane, and we imagined 
that possibly he was going to see what had become 
of those two American women who had gone in that 
direction when they left him. Petticoat Lane was 
nearer, so we decided we would not be deterred from 
visiting that locality, and accordingly we sallied forth 
among the street vendors, between the sidewalks 
which were lined with men, women and children. 
They all gazed at us, but we pursued our way in the 
midst of the squalor and wretchedness, till finally my 
companion whispered: — "Let's go back. I don't 
believe it is safe; did you ever see such ugly looking 
men as the three we just passed on the corner, and 
how they did stare at us." So we turned and beat a 
retreat, but we never saw the policeman and we 
wondered what he thought had become of us. We 




THE KREMLIN, TOWER OF IVAN THE GREAT 



SCENES IN OLD LONDON 33 

were glad we had been into the very worst part of 
London, though we did not wish to go again. 

One Sunday, as we were returning from a service 
at Westminster Abbey, we were interested in seeing 
a demonstration, attended by some 10,000 people, 
which was being held at Trafalgar Square, as a pro- 
test against the execution of Senor Ferrer, of Spain. 
The base of the Nelson monument was used as a 
platform for the speakers, and the red banners of 
the socialists and the labor reform parties were 
raised behind the speakers, and rested against the 
column. A large black flag was unfurled as a sign 
of mourning for the dead man. Several speeches 
were made; some of them by members of Parliament 
belonging to the labor party, and two by women. 
The remarks of all were of a very inflammatory 
character. One man, a member of Parliament, said: 
"If the head of every king in Europe were torn from 
its trunk to-morrow it would not pay half the price 
of Ferrer's life. Parliament ought to demand that 
the Spanish ambassador should leave these shores." 
(Loud applause) . While the next speaker was talk- 
ing a white banner was unfurled on the plinth of the 
column, which bore the inscription in black letters : 
"To H — with the murderer Alphonso." Resolu- 
tions, denouncing the murder and requesting the in- 
terference of the British government, were passed 
with a great show of hands and loud acclaim. The 
crowd was orderly, but many extra policemen, afoot 
and on horseback, were lined up on all sides, while 
others were scattered amongst the throng. After the 
speeches were finished the crowd marched in the di- 
rection of the Spanish embassy, singing, "Keep the 
red flag flying," and they would have reached their 
destination had not the way been obstructed by a 
body of mounted police, who drove them back, but 
they rallied and charged a second time and a third 



34 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

time, and then the police began to seize their ban- 
ners, and a sharp struggle ensued, several flags 
being torn in the tussle. For nearly half an hour the 
scene was full of din and confusion, but the guards 
mustered in strong force in front of the embassy, 
and all attempts to reach the entrance were frus- 
trated. 

It seems almost strange that the authorities would 
allow such violent language directed against the gov- 
ernment, but people say that London is an asylum 
for anarchists and socialists, and the reason why they 
have so little trouble with them is because they per- 
mit them to hold meetings, and say what they please. 
It is a "safety valve," they claim, and it may be so, 
for we doubt if there is another country where the 
ruler goes about as unprotected as does the King of 
England. We saw his majesty and the queen riding 
one day with simply two outriders who were quite a 
distance ahead of the carriage. 

It is remarkable what classes of people one sees 
here among the socialists. But the conservatives are 
bitter against this party. At dinner one evening, a 
conservative, who sat opposite us, said: "I went to 
Trafalgar Square this afternoon, hoping to see the 
mob get into a fight. I wanted to see the police cut 
down some of these socialists." Some of the nobility 
and leading clergymen in the city have espoused their 
cause. In a sermon one of London's most distin- 
guished preachers referred to the unjust death of 
Senor Ferrer, the women's movement and the bud- 
get. This same divine, who is undoubtedly the lead- 
ing minister in London to-day, wrote a letter some 
time ago to the prime minister in reference to the 
so-called "women's movement," which has assumed 
such unexpected proportions. Highly educated and 
handsomely dressed women sell their paper — "Votes 
for Women" in the streets in the vicinity of Parlia- 



I 



SCENES IN OLD LONDON 35 

ment Square. 

Some time since a party of Americans asked a well 
dressed woman, who was standing near the entrance 
to the Parliament building, waiting for the prime 
minister, if she would not give them the document, 
which she wished the premier to have, and let them 
try to get it to him. "Oh, no," she said, "I must 
stand here, for that is the way I shall arouse pubhc 
sentiment." Then my friend turned to a policeman 
and said, "You certainly do not wish to see this 
woman standing out here in the cold, why cannot you 
give the paper to the prime minister?" 

"Madame," said the stately "bluecoat" with a 
smile, "the prime minister went out another way, 
and has gone home long ago." 

We were talking to a woman who was distributing 
leaflets entitled: "Why women should vote," and 
she said: — "The laws of England are unjust to our 
sex, and they will never be righted till women can do 
it." And, as she enumerated specific laws, it seemed 
to us that they were less just than statutes in the 
United States bearing on the same subjects. But the 
suffragist cause has made rapid strides in the last 
four years. In October, 1905, their office consisted 
of a back room in the house of one of their follow- 
ers. To-day they have a building with twenty-one 
rooms in which their work is done. At that time 
they published a small leaflet; at present they have 
a paper with 30,000 copies each week. Then they 
raised $500 in six months; in the last two weeks they 
have had contributions, amounting to $10,000. As 
a result of their actions in the House of Commons, 
no lady, except a member's wife, is allowed to attend 
the sessions of that body. 

We have talked with many people in England, 
Ireland and Wales In reference to the movement, 
and they all say, no matter how much they object to 



36 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

the extreme methods employed by the suffragettes : 
— "They will succeed. It is bound to come." There 
are not the various women's organizations here, that 
we have in America, by which women can appeal to 
the authorities for municipal improvement, or peti- 
tion a legislature for enactment of certain laws; 
therefore the women can see no way of securing re- 
forms except by the ballot for themselves. 

But English laws are becoming more and more 
helpful to the people. At present a woman cannot 
be employed in any factory on night work, except by 
special permission, neither can she go to work before 
eight o'clock in the morning, or remain after six at 
night, and she must have an hour at noon. Every 
child, under fourteen, must go to school the whole 
of the school year. The public schools have a vaca- 
tion of five weeks in the summer, four at Christmas, 
and one at Easter. 

A mother told us that she kept her little girl at 
home from school one morning, and the authorities 
sent for her four times before one o'clock. In Great 
Britain, no matter what a law may be, it is strictly 
enforced. 

The Board of Trade, composed of members from 
each division of the kingdom, is really the executive 
power in this land, for they look after the enforce- 
ment of all laws. If there is a railway accident they 
see that the matter is carefully investigated. No 
steamship company ever gives a captain, who has 
lost his vessel, another ship, unless the Board of 
Trade allows it to be done. 

It is claimed that pauperism in Great Britain is on 
the increase. This present year opened with a little 
short of 1,000,000 people in England and Wales in 
receipt of relief. In the last named country they 
told us that, from a single town, where there were 
slate quarries, hundreds had gone to America during 



SCENES IN OLD LONDON 37 

the last two years. One person in every thirty-seven 
in these countries is a pauper. The number of able- 
bodied men relieved on account of lack of work, or 
other temporary causes, increased last year 133 per 
cent. Sixteen million pounds is expended annually 
by the poor law authorities. In London alone some 
ten million pounds is used every year for charity. 
The outlook here for the coming winter is admitted- 
ly worse than it was a year ago. The new law in re- 
gard to old age pension, and partial payment of 
wages in case of accident, or temporary illness, may 
improve this condition of affairs. These statistics 
are being given by the advocates of tariff reform. 
"Economically speaking," it is declared, "the nation 
has for years been steering straight upon disaster, 
and a decision must be made between the death of 
free trade, or the progressive ruin of Great Britain." 



CHAPTER IV 

Glimpses of Wales and Southern England 

THE lover of nature considers the country 
of England more attractive than London 
itself. The green fields, dotted with flocks 
of sheep and herds of cattle, the haw- 
thorn hedges, the smooth highways, the wayside 
inns that are old enough to have sheltered more than 
one royal head, the red-tiled cottages, with their 
patches of flowers on window ledge, and beside gar- 
den path, — all these and many other things render 
the countryside most beautiful. 

"Few sounds are thine, and clearly heard, — 
The whimple of the brook. 
The woodman's axe that distant sounds. 
Dogs' bay, or cawing rook. 

"How filled with quiet are these fields ! 
Far off is heard the peasant's tread. 
How clothed with peace is human life ! 
How tranquil seem the dead ! 

"Here Time and Nature are at strife, — 
The only strife that here is seen; 
Whate'er decay has tinged with gray. 
Has Nature touched with green." 

Seldom have we found more attractive scenery 
than we saw in North Wales, which is the great 
summer resort for the people of the midland coun- 
ties. 

38 



WALES AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND 39 

Bettws-y-Goed, (Station in the Woods), on the 
river Conway, is full of natural beauties. The water 
of Swallow Falls in this place takes a leap of many 
feet, and then goes tumbling down among the rocks, 
and rushes through the gorge below. The water is 
cold and clear, coming from the vicinity of snow- 
capped Snowdon, which rears its head some miles 
away — 

"Cold Is the snow on Snowdon's brow. 
It makes the air so chill; 
For cold I trow there Is no snow 
Like that of Snowdon's hill." 

About a mile in the opposite direction is Fairy Glen, 
whose deep tangle of ferns and trees invites quiet 
and rest. Near by is Waterloo Bridge, built in the 
year of the battle which this structure commemor- 
ates, and it is so stated In letters of Iron on Its side, 
while just above is wrought a rose, thistle, sham- 
rock, and leek, — the latter being the national plant 
of Wales. 

In going south we pass through the regions of 
the great slate quarries which seem grim and dark 
with their piles of refuse over a hundred feet high. 
We look with Interest upon the ruins of a Roman 
bridge, built during the time of the occupation of the 
island by the Romans. Before reaching Llangollen 
we pass through fine meadows hemmed In by high 
mountains, whose sides are dotted with cattle and 
sheep. Crow Castle commands this town, and, 
though situated on a well nigh insurmountable emi- 
nence, was destroyed by Cromwell's forces, as was 
the abbey just beyond the village. A short distance 
northwest Is a high hill with a house near the sum- 
mit called Bryn Mawr, — the place from which the 
noted college in the United States received its name. 
Poets have sung the praises of this little hamlet 



40 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

which royalty have often visited, and certainly it is 
a most charming spot that we leave with great re- 
luctance. 

For variety in landscape on seashore and rugged 
highlands one ought to visit Devonshire and Corn- 
wall. On the way to these delightful counties we 
must not forget to make a pilgrimage to Canterbury, 
which cannot fail to attract the pilgrim of to-day as 
it did in Chaucer's time. We feel that we are ap- 
proaching this sacred fane when we see the hostelry 
where the pilgrims of ye olden time used to stay. 
This Norman pile is fraught with interest for every 
lover of history, for here something can be found 
pertaining to every century of the eight that have 
passed since the corner stone was laid. Our thoughts 
naturally revert to Thomas a Becket, whose shrine 
is visited by many that walk around it on the stones, 
well worn by the pious pilgrims who once encom- 
passed it on their knees. The place is shown where 
Becket was murdered, and the cloister along which 
he walked just before his death. As we wander 
around the town we find ourselves in the park, or 
Donjon, as it is called, where we see the celebrated 
row of lime trees, i,ioo feet long, growing at the 
base of the old city wall which is very picturesque 
with its watch-towers over which the i-vy climbs. A 
granite shaft, with the Canterbury cross on top, com- 
memorates the death of forty-one martyrs, who were 
burned on that spot, between 1555 and 1558, while 
Mary was queen of England. 

In going to Devonshire one must not miss Win- 
chester, the largest cathedral in England, though the 
fact that the main tower is incomplete and the spires 
in front are small, detracts from the real size of the 
structure. But the nave gives the beholder an im- 
pression of vastness not exceeded in any English 
cathedral, while the reredos is most beautifully 



WALES AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND 41 

carved out of white stone. 

Salisbury, not many miles across country, as the 
bird flies, but quite a distance by train, boasts of 
having a cathedral with a spire 400 feet high, only 
sixty feet less than that at Strasburg, and "the most 
elegant in proportion and the loftiest in England." 
This structure is said to have as many windows as 
there are days in the year, as many doors as there 
are months, and as many pillars as there are hours m 
the day. Portions of the town are quaint with 
houses having red-tiled roofs, low eaves, and small 
paned windows. 

"The Market cross o'ergrown with moss 
All quaintly carved, still lingers on. 

And dreams, even in this hoary place. 
Of ages longer gone." 

A ride of less than two hours brings us to Exeter, 
an Episcopal see, and capital of Devonshire. Its 
cathedral, a cruciform structure, and quite elaborate 
in ornamentation, was erected in 11 12-1478. In 
one of its towers is the "Tom" of Exeter, or Peter s 
bell, weighing 12,500 pounds, and a large curious 
clock. The appearance of the exterior is extremely 
old and black, but the interior is hghtened by the 
color of the pillars, and battle flags, hung over me- 
morials of soldiers or regiments, set in the walls. 
This cathedral, as well as those of Salisbury and 
Exeter, is finely situated in the midst of trees, with 
plenty of lawn on all sides, and this is a feature that 
most of the cathedrals in the north of England lack. 
In a house three hundred years old, just opposite the 
cathedral. Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis 
Drake used to meet and discuss their travels and 
adventures. 

When travelling through this part of England 
one cannot help noticing the fertility of the soil 



42 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

which is far superior to that in the northern part of 
the country. The high hills and fields, separated 
by hawthorn hedges, are most green and beautiful. 

Ilfracoombe, in the upper part of Devon, com- 
mands the Atlantic coast for a long distance, and 
with its stupendous hills overlooking the ocean is a 
far-famed resort. The steep streets leading down 
to the sands, and the walks along the water's edge 
are thronged with those who have left old London 
for a week-end in sight of the waves. Just north of 
here is Lynton and Lynmouth, while the region be- 
tween is celebrated as being the Lorna Doone coun- 
try. In summer, coaches run to Lynton, giving the 
traveller a fine trip along the coast and over the hills. 

Not many miles away is Biddeford, where is 
shown the room in the Royal hotel in which Charles 
Kingsley wrote a part, at least, of "Westward Ho," 
which name was afterward given to a village in the 
vicinity. We cross a bridge, built three hundred 
years ago, and follow the quay, and come to the en- 
trance to the park where there is a white marble 
statue of Kingsley with a pen in his hand. All this 
region has been rendered famous through the works 
of this well known author. The little hamlet of 
Clovelly, where his father was rector, and in whose 
church Charles Kingsley himself sometimes preach- 
ed, lies just across the bay, and is most picturesquely 
situated, its main street being composed of irregular 
steps, which one can ascend on donkey back, if he 
does not wish to walk. 

Farther down the Atlantic coast is the quaint vil- 
lage of St. Ives — a great resort of artists, and many 
a canvas painted here, among this simple fisher folk, 
has been exhibited in the Royal Academy, or has 
found a place "on the line" in some salon. It is a 
quaint and picturesque old town with narrow streets 
and steep steps leading up between the houses. It 



WALES AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND 43 

may have some disagreeable features on account of 
the quantities of fish which are cured here annually, 
but it is beautifully situated on the shores of the Httle 
bay, whose surface is dotted with fishing smacks and 
craft of various kinds. 

Of course one must go to Land's End if he visits 
Penzance, and here we see "the first and last house," 
as well as the "first and last tree in England," and 
really it would seem as if nature had spent herself in 
making terra firma, and had nothing left but quartz, 
feldspar and shale, as the bold, rocky promontories 
push themselves far out into the Atlantic. There 
are many Gaelic monuments or crosses in this region, 
and their purpose is not definitely understood, but it 
is probable that the people gathered around the foot 
of them for worship before they had any church 
buildings. 

The channel side of Cornwall is styled the Riviera 
of England, and it certainly rivals in beauty the 
Mediterranean coast of France. One could spend 
several days at Plymouth, for it was from this place 
that the Pilgrim Fathers started to seek a home in 
the New World. The tablet in the wall, adjoining 
the pier which marks the place of embarkation, reads 
thus: — "On the 6th of September, 1620, in the 
Mayoralty of Thomas Fownes, after being kindly 
entertained and courteously used by divers Friends 
there dwelling, the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from 
Plymouth in the Mayflower, in the Providence of 
God to settle in New Plymouth, and to lay the Foun- 
dation of the New England States. The ancient 
Cawsey whence they embarked was destroyed not 
many Years afterwards, but the Site of their Em- 
barkation is marked by the Stone bearing the name 
of the Mayflower in the pavement of the adjacent 
Pier. This Tablet was erected in the Mayoralty of 
J. T. Bond 1 89 1, to commemorate their Departure, 



44 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

and the visit to Plymouth in July of that Year of a 
number of their Descendants and Representatives." 
Many of the houses in the neighborhood of the pier, 
where the memorial is placed, look as if they might 
have witnessed the embarkation. 

The view irotn Hoe's Hill nearby is especially 
fine, and Eddystone lighthouse can be seen on a clear 
day. On one side of the hill is the place where Sir 
Francis Drake was playing bowls when the Spanish 
Armada hove in sight. 

Farther up the coast, across the harbor from 
Portsmouth, lies the fair Isle of Wight, on which is 
situated Osborne house, the personal property and 
the favored abode of Queen Victoria. Here it was 
she spent her last days, and passed away in the midst 
of the scenes she loved so well. After her death. 
King Edward, who inherited the place, gave it to 
the government, and in it are kept her jubilee pres- 
ents, and many of the rooms are just as she left 
them, while the luxuriant gardens are thrown open 
to the public as a park in summer. 

Her youngest daughter, the Princess Beatrice, 
married Prince Henry of Battenburg, and he was 
governor of the island when he met his death at the 
time of the Boer war, and afterwards the Princess 
herself was made governor. This princess' daugh- 
ter is the queen of Spain, and she returns to the 
homeland from time to time, thereby allaying the 
anxiety which is felt for her welfare in Madrid. 

Newport, Ryde and Ventnor are as attractive as 
Cowes and have many objects of interest. Our car- 
riage ride from Ventnor westward along the vine- 
clad bluffs of the channel reminds us of the promon- 
tories on the road from Sorrento to Amalfi in Italy. 

Longer would we tarry in the midst of this well- 
nigh tropical loveliness, but we must cross the Chan- 
nel, which seems so alluring, but in reality is so 



WALES AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND 45 

treacherous ; and for that purpose we go up to South- 
ampton, where we take the night boat for Havre — 
a passage of about eight hours, but often a long eight 
hours for the passenger looking with anxious eyes 
for the distant shore. 



CHAPTER V 
Bits of Normandy and Brittany 

IN passing through France in years gone by, we 
have wished for a more intimate knowledge of 
its peasant life than the average traveler ob- 
tains from a car window. Therefore, in order 
to accomplish our object, we decide upon a trip 
through Normandy and Brittany, and in crossing the 
Channel from Southampton to Havre we have a 
passage of nearly eight hours, but it takes place in 
the night, and with a smooth sea, so no one feels the 
unpleasantness which is an accompaniment of this 
trip. 

The examination of baggage on the French side 
is a mere form — perfumery, cigars, tobacco, liquors, 
and matches seem to be the only articles against 
which the French have any strenuous objections. 

The English people go in great numbers to the 
summer resorts situated on the Channel coast of 
France, and some take trips to the interior of the 
provinces, where they find a wholly different life 
from that on the English side of the great waterway. 

But the "season" is over, and we can obtain no 
circular tickets, so we are obliged to make out our 
own itinerary, and purchase our tickets from place to 
place. 

Very few natives in this part of France can speak 
any language except their own, and one never sees 
in the shop windows the sign, "English spoken," as 
he does sometimes in Paris. Though in the latter 
place the shop-keeper must have a peculiar idea as 
to what English really is, if one can infer from a sign 

46 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 47 

in one Parisian shop window, which read, "American 
understood, and English spoken." 

An English-speaking person directs us to our train 
and, as he does this, we little realize that it is the 
last time for many days that we shall hear any of- 
ficial, or scarcely any other person, speak in our na- 
tive tongue. 

There was one man, however, at Dol, a railway 
junction in Normandy, who, much to our surprise, 
did reply in English when we asked him on which 
track our train would leave. But his answer, "The 
other one," was rather indefinite, as there were sev- 
eral tracks in front of us. Therefore, we were com- 
pelled to get a reply in French from some one else, 
as the aforesaid individual hurried on, after having 
distinguished himself by answering an English-speak- 
ing woman in her own tongue. 

We make Rouen our starting point since this old 
city is associated with the very early history of the 
country, for it was a garrison town under the 
Romans, and six centuries later it fell into the hands 
of the Scandinavian chief, Rollo, who made it the 
capital of his newly acquired territory, which he 
called Normandy, after the land of his birth. Hav- 
ing once gained possession of this beautiful province 
he ruled it wisely and well, and rendered his subjects 
happy and prosperous. In fact, all his descendants, 
down to William the Conqueror, administered af- 
fairs with remarkable prudence and vigor, so that 
they were greatly respected by their neighbors in 
France and Flanders. 

After the conquest of England by William, and 
during the reigns of his successors, Normandy was 
closely associated with Great Britain. Thus many 
of the soldiers of this general became the ancestors 
of noted men in English history, and to-day there are 
families, even in America, who can trace back their 



48 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

lineage to this great William, and are proud of their 
ancestry. Many a well known name in England 
originated in that of some Norman village whose 
lord followed the fortunes of the Conqueror across 
the Channel. 

At the beginning of the twelfth century Philip Au- 
gustus invaded the country, and, being victorious, 
reunited the duchy to the crown of France. 

But the traces of the Northmen will ever remain, 
and William the Conqueror made himself so felt 
here that his memory is indissolubly linked with the 
history of the country. Carefully do the people 
guard every stone which in any way was associated 
with this remarkable person. Here in Rouen did 
this indomitable man breathe his last, having been 
brought here from Mantes, where he set the town on 
fire to prevent it from falling into the hands of the 
enemy. In riding through the embers his horse 
stumbled and fell, throwing him forward onto the 
pommel of his saddle and injuring him, so that he 
died from the effects. 

Rouen is also full of Jeanne d'Arc memories, for 
it was here that she was brought, tried, and burned 
at the stake, without Charles VII. who owed his 
kingdom to her, making any effort whatever to save 
the girl from her dreadful fate. The funeral pyre 
was erected in the old market-place, and the actual 
spot is marked by a stone slab set in the ground, 
while on the adjacent wall is a tablet, bearing this 
inscription: "On Wednesday, 30 May, 143 1, Jeanne 
d'Arc was burned on this place. The ashes of the 
glorious victim were thrown into the Seine." The 
various statues of the Maid of Domremy in the city 
evince the feeling of the people, who look upon them 
with almost a feeling of veneration. 

As one wanders through the narrow streets he will 
come upon some beautiful examples of architecture. 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 49 

For nearly one hundred years, beginning In the latter 
part of the fifteenth century, Rouen was the metrop- 
olis of art in France, and was one of the first towns 
in which the splendors of the Renaissance burst 
forth. 

The Palais de Justice is a beautiful piece of Florid- 
Gothic, and was built by LouisXII. for the accommo- 
dation of the ancient supreme court of Normandy. 
The old clock tower was commenced, as is shown on 
a brass plate at the foot of the stairs, in 1389, and its 
bell, that still peals the hours, was cast in 1447. The 
cathedral, which many consider very fine, has little 
architectural charm for us, because it seems to be 
built with a total disregard for all rules of harmony 
and proportion, and has the appearance of being 
thrown together. Some of its decorations are most 
beautiful, and the western portal Ruskin considered 
the finest piece of flamboyant work in existence. A 
tower of the pointed style adorns the north side, 
while on the south there is the Tour de Beurre, 250 
feet high, and built from money obtained by the sale 
of indulgences to eat butter during Lent. Here hung 
a celebrated bell, Georges d'Amboise, whose maker 
was so overjoyed when It was first rung, that he died, 
and was buried in the nave of the cathedral. This 
huge bell was thirty feet in circumference, ten feet 
high and weighed 3,600 pounds. When Louis XVL 
visited Rouen In 1786, "Georges" was rung so long 
and so loud that "he" cracked. During the Revolu- 
tion of 1763 the Republicans took It down and melt- 
ed It all into cannon, except the lower part of the 
tongue which is preserved in the museum. 

In the chapel of the cathedral was Rollo burled, 
over whose marble effigy Is a tablet, with this in- 
scription, "Here lies Rollo, the first duke and found- 
er and father of Normandy^ of which country he was 
at first the terror and scourge, but afterwards the re- 



so OUR YEAR ABROAD 

storer." Just outside of the choir raihng is the re- 
cumbent stone figure of Richard Coeur de Lion, 
sculptured in the thirteenth century, and discovered, 
along with the heart of the king in 1838. The heart, 
which crumbled into dust on being exposed to the 
light, was deposited in a triple silver casket, and was 
inserted in the stone on which the effigy rests. The 
body of this noted ruler was buried in Fontevrault. 
From the middle of this cathedral rises a very slen- 
der spire of iron, whose only redeeming quality is 
the fact that it is one of the loftiest in the world, its 
vane being 498 feet above the ground. 

The Church of St. Maclou, nearly 500 years old, 
has a facade of five pointed arches, connected and 
adorned with such delicate tracery that it seems as 
if it were lace work wrought in stone. 

If the cathedral of Rouen is disappointing to any 
one, the church of St. Ouen cannot be, for it is pleas- 
ing in every respect. Nothing can exceed the beauty 
and symmetry of proportion in this most attractive 
edifice. The graceful spires, sculptured gables, and 
the rich fagades, are all adorned with carvings, which 
make it seem like a romance in stone, where fancy 
has been most lavishly displayed. The interior, with 
its fine columns and arches, gives a wonderful im- 
pression of vastness and perfect harmony. No screen 
obstructs the view, even to the end of the choir, and 
there is no break in the lines of architecture, while 
the whole is flooded with rich, soft light, streaming 
through windows which were the glory of French 
artists, for there was no feature upon which they 
bestowed more pains, or in which they were more 
successful than in their circular windows, which may 
be called the chefs d'oeiivres of their decorative abil- 
ity. In fact, the tout ensemble of this edifice is such 
that it is regarded as the most beautiful church in 
Europe. 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 51 

From Rouen we turn our steps westward toward 
Falaise, the birthplace of WilHam the Conqueror, 
which is reached by a ride of six hours from Rouen. 
Before we get into our compartment, or railway 
carriage, we ask an official if we shall have to change 
cars and he says that we will do so twice, and men- 
tions the places, but not being sure of the names of 
the junctions, we ask again and he replies: "Oh, that 
man will tell you," pointing to an army officer, who, 
with his little son, was evidently to be our compag- 
non de voyage, for a distance, at least. We sup- 
posed that a guard would come and look at our 
tickets before the train started, as they do in Eng- 
land, where, after that personage has seen it he al- 
ways says "thank you" to each traveler. But in 
France nowhere did a guard, or any one else, ever 
look at our billet till it was taken up by a man who 
stands at the entrance to every station, and one can- 
not leave the depot without going out past this indi- 
vidual. 

Accordingly, after the guard has blown his 
whistle, waved a green flag, and the engine has re- 
sponded to these signals with a screech, the train 
starts, and we interrogate this officer, who is most 
brightly clad in blue regimentals with red trimmings, 
and he gets out his time-table, a book about an inch 
thick, (they have no schedules in the form of fold- 
ers) and, after about half an hour of close applica- 
tion, he gives us a paper, on which he has written the 
names of the junctions, as well as the time of the ar- 
rival and departure of our train. We thank him 
and ask if he is sure that these are the only places of 
change and he replies, "Oui, oui, oui," and says, 
furthermore, that he is to get out at the first junction, 
where he will show us our train. We are so grateful 
that we take out of our bag a large chocolate 
lozenge, covered with tinfoil, and one of a roll which 



52 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

we have brought from the States, and give it to the 
small boy, who is immensely pleased with it, especial- 
ly when we tell him that it came across the ocean with 
us from America. We believe that far-away country 
seems much nearer to the child than it has ever been 
before. 

We now begin to enjoy the beauties of the country 
through which we are passing. For several miles we 
follow the banks of the Seine, and then swerve to the 
westward, getting into the very heart of Normandy, 
with its well cultivated fields, fine orchards, and pic- 
turesque villages, where the quaint houses, with their 
little windows, pointed gables, and low roofs of tile, 
or moss covered thatch, are the delight of the artist, 
and most attractive to the ordinary traveler. But 
before many years thatched roofs will be relegated 
to the past in France, because there is a law now 
which prevents the making of this kind of roof-cov- 
ering that is the cause of so many fires. 

The crooked streets, narrow lanes, and general 
irregularity in the arrangement of houses make the 
villages seem as if they were more the result of the 
work of children than of men. The houses are every- 
where constructed of stone, which gives them an air 
of solidity that does not characterize the same class 
of buildings in America. 

Many of the peasants are small proprietors of 
farms, containing from forty to fifty acres, which 
yield them, by hard labor and thrift, a fair living. 
Their crops consist chiefly of hay, oats and wheat, 
while of apples, pears, grapes and plums they have 
large quantities; in the English market, the latter, 
when canned, are preferred to our California varie- 
ties. Some of the pears attain great size; in fact, 
we scarcely recognize our old friends, the "Duch- 
esse" and the "Due d'Anjou," for they have reached 
such stately proportions on their native heath, and, 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 53 

while we admire their beauty and size, yet we feel 
that they do not possess the same exquisite flavor 
that we find in these varieties grown on American 
soil. The apples are a large source of revenue for 
the peasant, and we never saw so many. They are 
being gathered and shipped by the car-load, or are 
stored, though in some places they are left lying in 
enormous heaps on the ground, awaiting the time 
when they will be made jnto cider, which is the pro- 
vincial beverage. 

In certain places the peasants have been rivals of 
the farmers on the Isle of Jersey in the production 
of potatoes, and some years they send to London 
fifty tons of strawberries from the vicinity of St. 
Malo. 

One never tires of watching the peasants; the men 
in their peculiar waistcoats and broad hats; the 
women in their short skirts, capes, big aprons, and 
white caps, while both sexes wear the wooden shoes. 
In the villages the clatter of sabots of the very 
small children on the pavements, as the wearers 
run and play, is most amusing. When the men of 
the higher classes are clad in their best, they wear a 
small, black, shiny shoe of wood, and we saw one 
finely dressed man, with silk hat and brown shoes, 
which he was carefully protecting from the mud by 
means of huge wooden shoes, worn as rubbers. 

The large, handsome Percheron horses are a com- 
mon sight in these provinces, as they work in the 
fields, or draw loaded carts. The fine Holstein and 
Jersey cattle, as well as the flocks of sheep, bespeak 
the care which the peasant bestows upon his animals. 

But all these interesting scenes are beginning to be 
lost to view in the oncoming darkness, when we sud- 
denly realize that we have reason to put less confi- 
dence In the time-table of the officer of the morning, 
or rather, in his ability to decipher it, for, when we 



54 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

are within about half an hour of our destination, the 
train stops, and a French lady, with whom we have 
been talking, says, "This is where you have to change 
cars, if you are going to Falaise." We ask, with 
much surprise, "Are you sure?" and she replies, "I 
live in that town and am going there myself." We 
had already looked up the route on a pocket map, 
and there was nothing to indicate that there was a 
junction here, but, of course, we believe the lady, and 
change cars for the third time this day. 

The railway carriages, as they are called, are very 
comfortable and are warmed by means of flat iron 
boxes, about three feet long, ten inches wide, and 
three inches thick, which contain hot water. Two of 
these are placed end to end, in depressions in the bot- 
tom of the car, so that they are just flush with the 
floor. They are taken out and filled at the station 
from which the train starts, and then again in about 
six hours. 

All the inns of these towns are virtually about the 
9-ame in their arrangements. You enter a paved 
courtyard, which has buildings on all sides, and is at- 
tractive with its vines and plants, and an arbor, 
where, in summer, the guests will eat sausages and 
drink wine or cider. There is always a smoking 
room on the ground floor near the dining room, and 
to this the guests will repair after dinner for their 
coffee, and the men will smoke. But to the credit of 
the women in this part of France, be it said, we never 
looked into a room where they were using cigarettes, 
though in Paris, and in the larger cities of France it 
is no uncommon sight to see women thus indulging. 
On the second floor is a parlor, which has a kind of 
furniture that savors of antiquity, unless the proprie- 
tor is very prosperous and up-to-date, in which case 
he will probably have some bright plush covered 
chairs and a sofa to match. 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 55 

The old town of Falaise is a delight to the 
traveler who is interested in French history, and 
finds old-time houses most attractive. It was here in 
the old castle that William the Conqueror saw the 
light, and from a little window in the same tower, 
his father, Robert le Magnifique, first beheld the fair 
Arlette, daughter of a tanner, washing clothes in the 
small stream below the castle, and he was so attract- 
ed by her that he made her his wife. 

At the same place and in the same way the wives 
and daughters of the people in the neighborhood still 
wash their clothes, except that the banks of the 
stream are walled in at that spot, and thus form sort 
of a tank. In fact, this is the way in which most of 
the clothes of the people in these provinces are wash- 
ed. In what, as the sign indicated, was the public 
laundry in Bayeux, we saw the women washing the 
clothes in a stream. They stood in the water in sort 
of a half-barrel, to prevent them from getting wet 
themselves, and would first soap the garments on a 
board or stone on the bank, beat them with a wooden 
paddle, then rinse them in the stream, and hang them 
on a line nearby, but in the country they always 
spread them on the bushes. 

Having seen the town where William the Con- 
queror was born, and the city in which he died, of 
course we must visit Caen, where he was buried. 
The church of St. Etienne, a fine specimen of the 
pure Norman style, and built by this general, was his 
most fitting mausoleum. And the funeral of this 
great man must have been a noteworthy one as : 

"Lowly upon his bier 
The royal conqueror lay; 
Baron and chief stood near, 
Silent in war array. 



56 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

"Down the long minister's aisle 
Crowds mutely gazing streamed; 
Altar and tomb the while 
Through mists of incense gleamed." 

In front of its high altar is a marble slab, which 
covers all that remains of this mighty man — a thigh 
bone — which was saved when the tomb was broken 
into by the Huguenots in 1562, and again by the 
mob in 1793. The church of St. Trinite, an example 
of the early Romanesque, contains the ashes of Ma- 
thilda, the wife of William the Conqueror. 

At Bayeux is carefully preserved, in a glass case, 
the renowned tapestry, which, it is claimed, was 
made by this famous queen. The colors still retain 
their hues, in spite of the eight centuries of daylight 
which have fallen upon them; they are chiefly light 
blue, pink, red, yellow, buff, dark, and light green. 
It is worked on linen; the stitches being lines of col- 
ored worsteds laid side by side, and bound down at 
intervals with cross fastenings. It is mostly outline 
work, the flesh parts being represented by the bare 
cloth. 

No perspective or shading was attempted. It Is 
supposed to be the history of King Edward bidding 
Harold go and tell William the Conqueror that he 
will one day be king of England, and the picture of 
his being crowned in Westminster Abbey. An in- 
scription in Latin is affixed over each scene. 

From the quarries near this city was procured the 
stone used in the construction of Westminster Abbey, 
old London bridge, and the cathedrals of Winches- 
ter, Carlisle, and Canterbury. 

This old city impressed us greatly, but we believe 
we received a more lasting reminder, by an incident 
which occurred on our trip from this town to Cou- 
tances — a place which we wished to reach that night. 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 57 

Before buying our tickets, we asked the agent at 
Bayeux if the waiting-room in the station at St. Lo, 
where we found we would have to change cars, 
would be warm, and he said, "Oui, oui, tres chaud." 
With this assurance we were surprised to find, when 
we reached this place, that there were only a few 
sparks of fire in the little stove in the room where 
we were to remain till our train left. So we found 
the gate-keeper and told him we must have a fire, or 
we would take cold. He put on some coal, saying, 
"It will go." "Yes," we replied, "it will go out, for 
the stove is full of ashes and clinkers." But he went 
away, and, as he left, we handed him a half franc, 
saying, "Please look in soon, and see how it is." 
The fee had the desired effect, for in about ten min- 
utes he opened the door of the room, and we shook 
our heads and said, "It is out." Then he came in 
and put in some lighted paper, over which he pulled 
the coals, remarking, "It will go now." We replied, 
"No, we think it will not burn this time," but out he 
went, and, as he did so, we repeated our first request 
about looking in again soon. He acceded, and this 
time we shook our heads very decidedly, as much as 
to say, "We told you so." When he gazed upon the 
blackness that reigned within the stove, he exclaimed, 
"I'll seek some wood, and with that I can make it 
burn." Again he disappeared, but soon returned 
with a few small kindlings and some paper. At this 
stage of the process we became more hopeful and 
thus expressed our opinions, but alas for human ex- 
pectations, there was no breath of air to keep even 
the wood afire. The fourth time he returned, evi- 
dently expecting us to say, "It is all right," when, 
perhaps, he might receive some more centimes, but 
instead he was met by another shake of the head. 
This time he hurriedly left the room, and we doubt- 
ed if we should see him again, but soon he reap- 



58 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

peared with a small shovel of live coals, which he 
proceeded to dump on top of the ashes. Again we 
were pessimistic in regard to the results, ' but the 
bright coals indicated that there must be a fire some- 
where, perhaps in the ticket office, so we suggested 
that we would go and sit in that room, if it were 
warm, and then he would not have the trouble of 
making this fire. "Oh, no, there is no fire in the 
office," he replied, and with a look on his face which 
expressed determination born of defeat, he rushed 
out again, while we sat querying as to what would be 
his next method of procedure. However, it was not 
long before he came back with a large, iron scoop 
shovel, containing about half a peck of bright coals. 
Of course, our curiosity was aroused at once as to 
the source of this mysterious supply, but we had 
asked so many questions that now we kept quiet, 
and watched him as he drew ashes and cinders out 
of the stove on to the floor. Then he emptied the 
contents o/ his shovel into the stove, putting some 
fresh pieces of coal on top, and soon we had a fire, 
which was most comfortable. Yet we kept wonder- 
ing about the shovelful of coals, and the wonder 
grew, — and we are wondering still. 

One of the principal objects of interest in the city 
of Coutances is the old Church of St. Pierre with its 
peculiar shaped pews. One should not miss seeing 
the remains of the Roman aqueduct west of the 
town. The pointed and buttressed arches of this 
structure make it most remarkable and unusual. 

A place of great interest for the traveler is Mont 
St. Michel, situated on a bay of that name, and it is 
here that the real coast-line of Brittany begins. As 
we approach this high and lofty cliff, well nigh cov- 
ered with buildings and masonry, and rising almost 
vertically out of the water, we wonder how man 
could ever have raised the stone up the steep sides 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 59 

for the abbey which forms the apex of this conical 
mass of rock. 

At the base are fishermen's houses built in nooks 
and on shelving rocks, while nearly all the way 
around runs a rampart of walls and towers. The 
remnants of the old fortifications, as seen in the 
Chatelet and Claudine towers, and the Porte du Roi 
prove conclusively that the place was once a fortress 
of great strength. A long causeway connects with 
the main-land so that carriages, autos, and trams 
unload their multitude of visitors right at the old 
gateway. 

Once inside we go up half a hundred steps, and 
reach the churcii court where sea and land for miles 
around are spread out in a wonderful panorama be- 
fore us. 

We visit the Crypt of the Gros Piliers, and ascend 
the Escalion de Dentelle ; we wend our way through 
cloisters, arcades, and refectory down to the Hall 
of the Chevaliers, which recall the medieval days. 
Not far away is the wheel of the great machine, 
called the "Roue monte charges," that was used by 
the prisoners in lifting up the daily supplies for the 
abbey. 

The chapel, which is the highest building, is beau- 
tiful in its architecture and decorations; it is being 
restored, and looks as if It would be some time be- 
fore it Is fully completed. 

It is with a feeling akin to homage that the artist 
visits the little town of Gruchy, eleven kilometres 
from Cherbourg, for here the painter Jean Frangois 
Millet, was born in 18 14 in a typical Normandy 
house. As one gazes upon the low rooms with their 
bare walls and floors, and the general rudeness of 
the whole he realizes what Influences were brought 
to bear In shaping the early tendencies of this man's 
Hf?,. 



6o OUR YEAR ABROAD 

When one crosses into Brittany he at once notices 
the greater pecuharity in tiie costumes of the peas- 
ants; the men somewhat resemble Chinamen in their 
blouses or coats, and the women are picturesque in 
their white caps, capes, and short skirts. The girls 
wear a cap of netting which is much smaller than 
that of the women. Nearly all have wooden shoes, 
which are sometimes held on by means of straps 
over the ankle, or with slippers worn inside. They 
vary in color, some being just that of the wood from 
which they are made, others are painted red, or 
black, and these last shine like patent leather. 

The situation of the old city of Dinan on the sum- 
mit of a hill overlooking the Ranee, flowing 250 feet 
below, is very romantic. It is a walled town with 
four gates, through which the people are pouring in 
from the country, with their pigs, geese, cattle, and 
horses, for it is market-day. Very amusing are the 
scenes of the women driving pigs, harnessed with 
cords, and it is all too evident that these "rooters" 
prefer their "native heath" to the streets of Dinan. 
The castle, built about 1380, is conspicuous with its 
tower, 112 feet in height. The chapel still contains 
the chair used by Anne of Brittany during her devo- 
tions. No longer do these walls echo with the voices 
of the choir, but instead do they resound with the 
clanking of chains, for it is now used as a prison. 
The antiquary and the artist are attracted by the 
steep, narrow, and crooked streets whose irregular 
cobble stones and general roughness make carriage 
riding in the older district rather uncomfortable. 

The fortress of St. Malo is situated at the mouth 
of the Ranee, and is connected with the main-land 
by a narrow neck of land. It is the seventh port of 
France in importance, and presents a busy scene as 
it sends much of the exports of Brittany across the 
Channel. It is outlined with ramparts from whose 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 6i 

top rise several towers dating from the sixteenth cen- 
tury. At high tide when the harbor is crowded with 
vessels of various kinds the effect is most picturesque. 

On an island in the vicinity is the grave of one of 
the greatest sons of France, the eloquent Chateau- 
briand, who chose this resting place within sight of 
his native town. 

On the Bay of Mont St. Michel is the little fishing 
village of Concale which has given inspiration to 
many artists. 

The white sands furnish a good bed for the propa- 
gation of oysters which the women plant here after 
they have been brought in by the dredgers. Once a 
year they have the ceremony of blessing the boats 
which is a most interesting spectacle, as the proces- 
sion, headed by the bishop, marches from the church, 
and women scatter rose leaves on the ground before 
it, while the crowd, lining the street, fall on their 
knees. At the wharf, around which the boats, with 
flags flying, have collected, the bishop, with his at- 
tendants kneeling around him, asks divine protec- 
tion upon the boatmen and their boats for the com- 
ing year. 

The northern coast of Brittany has many small 
towns that are replete with interest, especially those 
near the coast where the fishermen ply their trade. 

Brest is the most important naval port of France, 
but, aside from its fortress, has little that is really 
attractive about it from an aesthetic point of view. 

One of the most interesting of the inland places 
of Brittany is Quimper with a population of 20,000. 
Portions of its old ramparts still remain, showing 
that at one time It was a well fortified town. The 
cathedral, begun In 1429 and finished In 1865, is the 
finest In this part of the country. Two very graceful 
twin spires on the fagade rise to the height of 246 
feet, while below these. In the rear are four towers, 



62 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

and another spire, all pierced with trefoil openings. 
A handsome portal, under an arch, adorned with five 
rows of sculpture, admits one to the interior which 
is grand and vast. Half a hundred great pillars, sup- 
porting pointed arches, encompass nave and choir. 
The clerestory windows admit the light through 
some fine old fifteenth century openings around which 
there are lace-like traceries. The fresco paintings, 
the high altar of bronze, and the massive pulpit of 
carved oak are far superior to what one would ex- 
pect to find. 

In the museum near the cathedral are implements 
of stone and models of mounds discovered in that 
vicinity. A company of life-like figures, dressed in 
old style costumes show the interest that this people 
take in preserving their customs. This representa- 
tion of the dress of the ancient dames of this land is 
no more quaint or ornate than what one can see on 
any fete day; on these occasions the Bretons hreton- 
nantes rejoice in their peculiar caps and collars, em- 
broidered jackets and vests, bodices most daintily 
worked, aprons of every hue and petticoats, so 
voluminous that they show that they are distended at 
the top by means of rounded pads. 

Many are the holy days which are celebrated in 
honor of some saint and, at these times the Bretons 
are seen at their best. Their deep religious fervor 
makes them observe their church festivals most care- 
fully; some of these are called pardons because at 
that time the participants return thanks for the bless- 
ings of the year, and seek forgiveness for the sins of 
the past, and indulgence for those of the future. 
These are really, as one traveler has called them, 
"feasts of the soul, for they are penetrated with 
deep religious feeling, and those who take part in 
them are in touch for a time at least with the spirit- 
ual world, no matter how material may be the object 



NORMANDY AND BRITTANY 63 

of their veneration, or how trivial the outward ex- 
pression of their devotion." 

Probably there is no country, so close to modern 
influences, that has been affected so little by the 
great outside world. The Bretons are contented 
with their own bit of the world and resist the ad- 
vances of civilization by making their customs and 
habits conform to those of their ancestors. Instead 
of adopting modern ways and inventions they per- 
sistently cling to the old, and that is what renders 
Brittany so charming and attractive to-day. As we 
read the words of Victor Hugo which he wrote when 
he thought that the whole of his belle France was 
deteriorating, we feel as if they might have been 
especially applicable to this corner of the country: — 

"O debris, ruines de France, 
Que notre amour en vain defend 
Les jours de joies ou de souffrances 
Vieux monuments d'un peuple enfant." 



CHAPTER VI 

Winter Sports in Switzerland 

UNDER the vaulted dome of a great rail- 
road station in Paris, where various loco- 
motives fill the air with clouds of steam, 
as if in eager haste to be off, we stand 
with tickets in hand, luggage in charge of the facteur, 
and minds full of dreams of ice and snow lying clear 
and white on vale and mountain far from the throb- 
bing noise of hurrying humanity. Cold realism sud- 
denly breaks our ecstasies by the matter of fact an- 
nouncement from one member of our party: "I have 
left the camera!" Of course our journey cannot be 
undertaken without this necessary part of our lug- 
gage, so a messenger is quickly dispatched to our 
pension, where the forgotten article is soon found, 
and gladly do we look upon it, as the little black box 
has really become one of our cornpagnons de voyage. 
The next morning finds us in Switzerland and 

"Above us are the Alps, 
The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls 
Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps, 
And throned Eternity in icy halls 
Of cold sublimity, where forms and falls 
The avalanche — the thunderbolt of snow! 
All that expands the spirit, yet appals, 
Gather round these summits, as to show 
How Earth may pierce to Heaven, yet leave vain 
man below." 

With blankets tuck.ed securely around us, with hot 
stones at our feet, and our spirits in tune with the 

64 



WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND 65 

jingling of sleigh bells, the peace of the silent forest 
through which we are coursing, soon puts to flight 
the feverish restlessness peculiar to the turbulence 
of the great world. 

Our destination is a small village on the mountain 
side, where we find a postoffice and a store, in front 
of which are hand sleds, standing on end in the snow, 
and indicating the general character of the merchan- 
dise contained within, which consists largely of skis, 
skates, cow bells, ski oil, sweaters, caps, mufflers, 
leggings, post cards, and bottles, labelled "sure cure 
for colds." A few chalets and two hotels complete 
the number of buildings in this resort for winter 
sports. 

The air is most bracing and, because of its clear- 
ness and health-giving properties, soon tinges the 
cheeks of the visitors with a color that well nigh re- 
flects the Alpine glow itself. 

The winter sports which are found in these moun- 
tain nooks have come to be very popular; English, 
French and Germans enjoy them, and to-day we find 
all these nationalities represented, with a small 
sprinkling of Americans. 

Boys and girls, men and women in white caps and 
sweaters, with throat scarfs fluttering in the wind, 
hasten toward the lake where professional skaters 
spin, dance, and perform various evolutions to the 
accompaniment of merry music. Stout German 
Fraus, in the most abbreviated of short skirts, and 
their husbands in brown puttees, and wearing hob- 
nailed shoes, go down the long road on flying tobog- 
gans. 

Americans are reputed to be overzealous in fol- 
lowing the freaks of fashion, and it must be an in- 
born desire to be in style and to have new experi- 
ences which induces some of our party to procure a 
sled, and attempt a descent on the toboggan track, 



66 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

which winds back and forth down the sides of the 
mountain. Perhaps the thought of the delightful 
childhood hours spent in "sliding down hill" in far 
away America may have been an inducement to try 
the hand with this kind of a sled. Fortunately or 
unfortunately we do not know that this course is 
only intended for the use of expert tobogganers, and 
has been carefully graded, and covered with glare 
ice. 

A shove from the top and in a second our sled has 
started, and is racing along faster than the wind, 
with no thought left in our brain, which is already 
paralyzed with fear, but the wild desire to save our 
lives by grasping the edges of the narrow board. At 
the time it seemed as though some fateful hand must 
have saved us from destruction, though afterwards 
we concluded that fright, rather than any real dan- 
ger to life and limb, caused our hearts to palpitate 
so abnormally. 

Our second slide takes place on the two mile 
length of regular road, which is accomplished with 
more ease and grace than characterized the wild 
hilarity incident to our first experience. As we go 
down we ignore the would be witticisms of some 
German pedestrians who derisively shout, "Brem- 
sen, Bremsen," (brakes) at seeing our painful ef- 
forts to hasten our coaster over a level stretch of 
highway by means of a pointed Alpine cane. 

A small car on an incline will convey to the top 
all the sporters who are averse to walking up, or 
do not wish to pay two marks necessary to hire a 
returning sleigh attached to a horse. We rfotice that 
the persons desiring to become passengers on this 
car greatly exceed its capacity. In accordance with 
the dictates of a sign, set up in the car, and which, 
translated into good English reads, "first come, first 
served," we, in turn take our seats, when a German 



WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND 67 

party, arriving on a later toboggan, demands these 
accommodations for themselves. 

One stalwart Herr, in beseeching tones, implores 
one of the ladies of our number "for the sake of 
humanity" to give him her seat, while his bolder 
companion orders the remaining occupants of the 
car out of their places. Long residence in Prussia 
has taught the American woman the value of a de- 
cided "Ich will nicht," but more docile German 
ladies accede to the request of these determined in- 
dividuals, and get out of the car. All manner of 
threats are made in German against the foreigners 
who will not give up their places ; even the conductor, 
who has undoubtedly received some tip, declares that 
he will not permit the car to ascend till they leave, 
but in spite of everything they remain. If anyone 
imagines that the details of this incident are exagger- 
ated, let him inquire of that raspy conductor, and 
he will receive assurance, (perhaps accompanied by 
violent language), that the American women held 
their places that day against the unrighteous de- 
mands of the German men. 

On one occasion we almost envy the smart cutter 
and black steeds, decked in flaming plumes, of the 
Duke of Weimar, who has come to enjoy the sports 
of this place. 

Pleasant memories of sleigh rides In a one-horse 
cutter over glistening roads in a certain section of 
the United States, induce us to ask for a similar 
vehicle here. The proprietor of the hotel cannot 
hide his amazement that ladies should desire such an 
ungenteel team as a horse and sleigh without a 
driver. In lieu of a sleigh, a stout sled, drawn by 
the oldest and laziest horse In town, Is produced for 
our diversion. This steed, evidently considered by 
his careful owner as absolutely safe for women to 
manage, will not move faster than a walk, and soon 



68 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

stops, from which peaceful posture all Inducements 
of rein and whip cannot stir the animal. 

On another occasion the proprietor is persuaded 
to give us a better horse, though the owner takes 
care to have the rope tugs long enough to place the 
animal out of range of the short whip. Again Amer- 
ican ingenuity is undervalued, and a series of knots 
in the tugs renders the touch of the whip supreme. 
How enjoyable it is, skimming over the snowy white- 
ness, behind our flying steed 1 Past slow-plodding 
oxen we race, under the swaying branches of tall 
pines, or beside the young firs, standing like soldiers, 
in military array. An old peasant woman, with 
back bent under a heavy load of faggots gathered in 
the forest, pauses a moment to gaze after our flight. 
We do not stop to consider the unfairness of fate 
or fortune, (which may be the thought that fills her 
mind) , that places us in the happy ecstasies of a 
smoothly gliding existence, with no heavy burdens 
to bear, and far removed from the drudgery of this 
peasant woman's life, whose "daily round of cares" 
may be just as honorable and worthy as our own. 

With hearts free from harrowing thought we 
make the woodlands ring with laughter, and fill the 
air with snatches from our national hymn, college 
songs, and negro ditties. Possibly some native ear 
may have heard for the first time the air of "Amer- 
ica," "Old Kentucky Home," or some stolid soul 
may have wondered at the musical productions of 
"The three Crows who sat on a Tree," or "Where 
was Moses when the Light went out?" 

As the shades of evening fall we stop for a cup of 
tea at a wayside inn. The waiter expresses a kindred 
feeling for he has spent some time in America, and 
says he wishes to return and become an attendant 
in a restaurant on Broadway. For our edification 
he turns loose a phonograph, introducing a cylinder, 



I 



WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND 69 

which he proudly claims, contains an American tune, 
though it may be Chinese from any word that we 
understand, during the course of its production. A 
second record, supposed to contain witticisms in the 
negro dialect, leaves an unpleasant impression of a 
conglomeration of sounds, — the only inteUigible 
words being something about a donkey using his 
heels. 

On the day of our arrival a lady and gentleman 
swing past us on skis, and their even tread and skil- 
ful ease at once proclaim them as being no novices 
to this sport. We judge from the costume of the 
woman, which is an exact counterpart of that of her 
husband's, and from the dinner sack and thermos 
bottle, thrown over their backs, that they are off for 
a long day's trip over the deep snows of the forest. 

Probably there is no sport in Switzerland more 
generally enjoyed by natives, as well as visitors, than 
that of skiing. To the onlooker there is a fascina- 
tion in watching an adept in this sport skim over the 
deep snow, through meadow and pasture, over hill 
and dale. But when the inexperienced person straps 
these long narrow boards, some seven feet in length, 
onto his feet for the first time, and tries to learn the 
art of skiing, he usually comes to grief. The long 
skis will not travel as they should, but depart from 
the straight path, crossing one another in most dis- 
orderly fashion. Each foot insists upon a different 
line of progress from its companion, with the result 
that the intrepid individual soon finds himself ex- 
claiming "Where am I?" Fortunately the snow is 
soft and deep, and the tumble results in no broken 
bones. 

What pleasure skiing holds for the connoisseur. 
One of our party can testify to this, as she essayed 
the art. Flying down long hills with the ease of a 
bird on the wing; skimming over the crusted surface, 



70 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



and through the chill silence of a winter forest, where 
the branches of the dark pines and firs are bowed 
low under a weight of whiteness; not a sound breaks 
the silence save the soft slur-r-r of the runner on the 
snow, or the sharp snap of a branch from a dead 
tree. When the sun begins to sink behind the moun- 
tains, sending its golden glow over the hill-tops, and 
tinging the white expanse with rosy light, this begin- 
ner feels as if a bit of heaven had come down to 
earth. 




Where am I? 

The last rays sink beneath the horizon, a chill fills 
the air, and she seeks our hostelry, where she rests 
from the pleasures of the day. On the morrow the 
same young lady decides to celebrate this her birth- 
day with more daring exploits in the art of skiing. 
All nature seems to be in accord with her desire, the 
crisp air and the sparkling snow giving her zest for 
new achievements. Therefore she seeks a place 
farther up the mountains, where the slopes are steep- 
er. As she catches sight of the long white expanse 
she is possessed with an ardent desire to try her skill 



WINTER SPORTS IN SWITZERLAND 71 

in a downward flight on this beautiful stretch of 
snow. She notes that the field is quite void of human 
life save one lone man, who is too much absorbed in 
his own pleasures to notice the antics of an amateur, 
so she takes the fatal step over the brink. How 
swiftly she flies! So rapid the motion that she 
seems to be rushing through limitless space, her feet 
touching no solid matter, her thoughts rushing on 
in ethereal rapture. But the realization of the real- 
ity of substance is forced upon her by a sudden im- 
pact with cold softness, and she is buried in the snow, 
face downwards and skis waving in the air. Of 
course she is up and off on her journey in the twink- 
hng of an eye, but various falls attend her before 
she arrives at the foot of the hill, where she gives a 
shake to see if all bones are whole, and in good 
working condition. She quite forgets those most 
important articles, the hair pins, which literally mark 
the pathway of her progress, and the hair, released 
from restraint, arranges itself in the style of dress- 
ing probably adopted by Eve in her outdoor exer- 
cise. 

If the process of descending meets with such an 
untimely end, what about climbing back up the slope 
when the skis insist upon shding backward at each 
step. Picture the perambulatory snow-form of^ a 
girl whose normal attire is a green skirt and white 
sweater, but is now encrusted with a white garment 
from head to foot; imagine the peregrinations she 
executes along oblique lines during her frantic ef- 
forts to gain the summit of the hill. But alas ! A 
misstep and she slips, and slides backwards to the 
bottom of the slope. We are led to believe, from 
the shouts of her companions, that her descent back- 
wards was more gracefully accomplished than the 
same feat performed with skis in the usual position. 
What a jolly mix-up of girl, snow and skis is the re- 



72 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

suit of her unhappy flight in this inverted style. 
Surely the school teacher of other days, who endeav- 
ored to instill into her youthful mind the precept of 
thinking twice before acting in time of wrathful 
trouble, would have been delighted could she have 
witnessed the half minute of reflection before she 
was able to find a solution to her dilemma, and stand 
once more safely on her feet. 

After such violent exercise a cup of tea obtained 
in the nearby station is most welcome, and two or- 
ders of biscuit hardly satisfy the cravings of hunger. 
Later she reaches our inn, and half dozing before 
the fire in a comfortable arm chair she is awakened 
from her reverie by her friends, who wish her to 
come and sec the sunset. 

Behind yon rocky height whose rugged sides af- 
ford no resting place for snow or clinging vine, — 
behind this point sinks the dying sun, while the snows 
of the distant mountains are tinged with a rosy glow. 



CHAPTER VII 

Christmas in the Fatherland 

CHRISTMAS for the children In Germany 
begins on the eve of the sixth of December 
when all the boys and girls hang their 
stockings, and St. Nicholas fills them with 
sweetmeats. This patron saint is supposed to re- 
ward those little ones who have been good, and to 
punish those who have been naughty. Sometimes he 
appears in a school room and, after questioning the 
teacher in regard to the conduct of the children, pro- 
ceeds to apply the switch to those who have not been 
dutiful. So that the coming of this individual, laden 
with goodies, is held up as a motive for obedience. 
However, the approach of Christmas day is ob- 
served in some families, even on the first of Decem- 
ber, when in the evening a little tree is set on the 
table in the family living room, and one candle is 
placed on it at that time. A small pasteboard star, 
on which is printed some text of scripture containing 
a prophecy relating to the birth of Christ, is also 
hung on the tree, after having been committed to 
memory by the members of the family. Each night, 
an additional candle and a new text decorate the 
branches, till Christmas eve, when the tree gives 
place to the real Weihnachtsbaum. We saw trees, 
for this purpose, in a hospital, in a free kindergar- 
ten, and In the conference room of the Young 
Women's Christian Association. It Is certainly a 
beautiful custom, and tends to give those who prac- 
tice it a better conception of the real nature and ob- 
ject of Christmas. 

73 



74 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

In Berlin the law allows persons to begin selling 
Christmas trees on the eleventh of December, and 
soon after it would seem as If many parts of the city 
had been decorated with evergreens, of mushroom 
growth. Many of the broad streets have paths for 
horseback riders In the center, and these ways are 
literally lined with tree^, as are the curbings of the 
broad sidewalks. In some of the streets the com- 
bined width of the two sidewalks exceeds the breadth 
of the street itself, which Is quite wide, so there is 
abundant room for the display of trees, as well as 
the merchants' wares that are placed outside the 
shop doors. In order to attract the notice of the 
passerby. At this season there are many of the 
Weihnachtsausverkauf, indicating a special Christ- 
mas sale. Every dealer, no matter along what line 
he Is plying his trade, has some decorations, especial- 
ly significant of the season. Even in the butchers' 
stalls one sees various cuts of meat arranged most 
artistically and decorated with green. Some of the 
show windows have designs that are very unique and 
exhibit the originality of the German mind. One in 
particular, that we noticed, was a representation of 
a fox and a goose dancing together In the snow. 
They looked as If they were alive and, by some elec- 
trical device, were made to take a "two-step" which 
was most natural and amusing. 

On Christmas eve at six o'clock there Is a service 
In the churches, consisting for the most part, of 
special music, though sometimes the pastor will 
preach a short sermon. We attended a service In 
the Gedachtnlsklrche, a church built by the present 
emperor, as a memorial for his grandfather, old Em- 
Deror William; It Is a most beautiful edifice, with the 
Interior finished In mosaics and marble. Back of the 
chancel Is a large and finely modelled figure of 
Christ in white marble, and on each side of this was 



CHRISTMAS IN THE FATHERLAND 75 

a Christmas tree, decorated with many candles, so 
that the contrast of the white and green, with two 
crosses of bright colored electric lights, was most 
pleasing. 

The church was absolutely packed with people — 
all available standing room being occupied, even into 
the vestibule. The music was arranged for the oc- 
casion, and was something never to be forgotten in 
its richness, variety and Impressiveness. Services 
are also held Christmas morning in all the churches, 
and these are quite well attended. Wherever there is 
particularly fine music, whether it is In a church or a 
beer garden, there the Germans will be found In 
crowds, so great Is their innate love for, and appre- 
ciation of good music. 

On Christmas eve, or early In the afternoon, the 
children of the Sunday schools go to their respective 
churches and carry food and clothing for the poor. 
And on that day the graves of friends and relatives 
are often decorated with flowers. It Is said that 
every family in Germany has a Christmas tree, 
though their household Penates are most meagre, 
and there may not be bread in the house, yet they 
will manage In some way to get a tree, even if it is 
only a semblance of one. Perhaps It will be simply a 
green branch which the dealers have cut from their 
trees In trimming them, but this will be placed In a 
conspicuous position, even In the most wretched 
hovel. Food will be denied that a few candles, and 
bright decorations may give It the appearance of 
cheer and comfort, while around It perchance, will 
cluster memories of brighter days. This bit of ex- 
travagance every German allows his wife, and, for 
the nonce all are happy In the radiance which it sheds 
in the humble home. 

The manner In which the family are given the first 
glimpse of this festivity is most interesting. 



76 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

The tree in the home, where we had been invited 
to spend Christmas eve, had been set up in the salon, 
as the parlor is called. The mother and oldest 
daughter had decorated it, and no one was allowed 
to look upon it till the folding doors, connecting with 
the dining room, where the family and friends had 
assembled, were thrown open. The decoration was 
entirely in white, and high up, on the outside 
branches, there was the most cloud-like effect pro- 
duced by a very fleecy, and aerial kind of stuff, 
known as "angels' hair." There were many candles, 
burning brightly, and, later in the evening, the scin- 
tillating fireworks, which had been attached to the 
boughs, were lighted, and the effect was quite daz- 
zling. After a few moments, when the exclamation 
in regard to the beauty of the tree had begun to 
cease, a member of the family sat down at the piano, 
and accompanied the family and friends, who sang, 
"In Der Stille Nacht," and "Von Himmel Hoch." 
Then each one examined his presents which had been 
placed on tables around the room, no gift being hung 
on the tree. As each article was seen, the person 
who received it would go to the giver, if he were 
present, and thank him, a gentleman kissing the hand 
of a lady who had given him anything. The three 
servants of the family were present, and tables con- 
taining their gifts were arranged with those of the 
other members. The servants in a German house- 
hold are well remembered at this season. Our host- 
ess told us that she usually expended a thousand 
marks for Christmas gifts, and nearly a quarter of 
this amount was devoted to presents for her ser- 
vants. 

An American friend of ours hired a furnished 
apartment, and took the German servant who had 
been in the family of the owner, and it was stipulated 
in the written lease that the Americans should have 



CHRISTMAS IN THE FATHERLAND 77 

a Christmas tree, and that the servant should be re- 
membered very generously, even the size of the plate 
was designated which was to be filled with sweet- 
meats for this Hausmadchen. 

Later in the evening we were invited to the dining- 
room where the gentlemen partook of wine and the 
ladies of coffee, while all ate nuts, candy, fruit and 
Pfefferkuchen, — little cakes made in various forms. 
These same friends had previously asked us if we 
could give them a recipe for plum pudding. Accord- 
ingly we procured one for them, but the aversion 
with which a German cook regards the introduction 
of foreign dishes into her domain was well illustrated 
by the remark of the ruler of the saucepans in 
this family when the good Frau proposed our recipe. 
After it was read to her, she said "Plum puddings 
will do for English and Americans, but Kartoffeln 
(potatoes) are good enough for Germans." She 
showed most unmistakably that she considered the 
suggestion a reflection on her capabilities, and it is 
needless to say that there was no American plum 
pudding in that house on Christmas day. 

After the refreshments had been served, the table 
was removed, and the young people danced, and thus 
ended Christmas eve in a German home, all of which 
we had enjoyed most thoroughly. 

It may be of interest to our readers to know what 
part the American contingent in one household had 
in the Christmas festivities. We had decided that 
it would not do for us to be the only people in Ber- 
lin not having a Christmas tree. So we sallied forth 
in the afternoon of the day preceding Christmas In 
search of a tree, which was not difficult to find, and 
the prices were greatly reduced, because nearly every 
one had bought their tree. Therefore a tree, for 
which three or four marks had been previously 
charged, could now be obtained for one mark. In 



78 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

fact, all the trees were on the "bargain counter," as 
it were, and a person could have his choice. We dec- 
orated ours in true American style, minus the pop- 
corn, which finds no place in Germany, and set it on 
a table at the end of our commodious sitting room. 

We had invited twenty-five people to spend the 
evening with us on Christmas day. They were all 
persons whom we knew quite well, but it was a cos- 
mopolitan company; — the following countries being 
represented: America, Mexico, Holland, Sweden, 
Germany, Hungary, and Bulgaria. We knew that 
the foreigners would look with much interest upon 
all that we should do, so that a great deal of tact had 
to be employed in introducing the people in the 
proper manner, and in giving the seat of honor — the 
sofa — to the right persons, and in placing individuals 
together, who could understand one another. The 
two Mexicans could speak only French, besides their 
native tongue; some of the Germans knew no Eng- 
lish, while three of the Americans could converse in 
French. But our Dutch friends were able to speak 
six languages, and the Bulgarian, who had received 
his doctor's degree at the University of Odessa, was 
equally versatile, and could talk with any one pres- 
ent. 

For gifts, we had prepared Juleklapps, which are 
small presents, wrapped in many papers, and put 
into a large sack. They consisted of toys, such as 
one sees peripatetic venders selling on the street cor- 
ners for a few pfennigs. The German toys are un- 
surpassed in point of excellence and ingenuity. Many 
of them can be wound up, and are thus given powers 
of locomotion. 

It seems almost a pity that Uncle Sam should de- 
prive his children of the pleasure which these toys 
would afford thousands of American boys and girls, 
had he not imposed a duty of sixty per cent, on this 



CHRISTMAS IN THE FATHERLAND 79 

kind of article. 

Of course, great fun ensued, as each guest cut 
the strings and unwrapped his bundle till he reached 
the nucleus which was usually something that afford- 
ed much merriment. After each one had found his 
gift he was requested to draw a picture of some ani- 
mal, designated by a slip of paper given him, and he 
was to do this blindfolded. Of course, the attempts, 
— some good and some bad — caused a great deal of 
mirth. The most realistic picture was that of a 
rhinoceros, drawn by a German student, who could 
speak no English, but wrote under it the name of the 
animal in very plain letters. But the prize — (a Ger- 
man picture book of animals) — was awarded to the 
one who should draw it from a bowl, covered with 
white and decorated with red ribbons and American 
flags. One of the Dutch ladies was the fortunate 
person, though all obtained something, mostly repre- 
sentations of fruit and vegetables in the form of 
Marzipan, which is a kind of candy made only in 
Germany. Then simple refreshments were served, 
consisting of chocolate and sandwiches, the latter 
made of lettuce, cheese, and nuts with mayonnaise, 
which we had prepared ourselves. Our German 
friends looked askance at these, and we do not sup- 
pose that they thought those white, triangular pieces 
of bread amounted to much, though the Americans 
seized them with avidity. If they had been made of 
rye bread, with slices of ham or sausage, the Ger- 
'rnans would really have enjoyed them. 

Later In the evening, a representative from each 
country was asked to describe the method of cele- 
brating Christmas in his own land. Some of them 
required a little interpreting, but all did very well. 
One of our Dutch friends told us that St. Nicholas 
day, December 6th, is the time of the celebration in 
Holland, and on that night the children hang their 



8o OUR YEAR ABROAD 

stockings, while outside the door, they leave their 
wooden shoes, filled with hay for the horse of good 
St. Nick. The Swedish girl told in broken, but in 
most fascinating English, what they do at this time 
in her native land, — all of which is quite similar to 
the German day. The Hungarian described Christ- 
mas in his country, and said it was attended with a 
great deal of eating and drinking. In Mexico, the 
festivities peculiar to this event, are very different 
from what they are in the Vaterland, while in far 
away Bulgaria they have the regular Russian Christ- 
mas, which occurs on January seventh. As the Bul- 
garian was sitting near the Mexican he Interpreted 
for him, and the Americans present considered it 
quite remarkable that this man, from the Black Sea, 
should be able to interpret for the individual from 
Mexico City. Thus all these persons, from various 
parts of the earth, had something to say about this 
celebration, which has become world-wide. 

More than ever before was it impressed upon us 
how comprehensive and far-reaching was that won- 
derful event, whose object has remained unchanged 
since it was proclaimed above Bethlehem's hills, — 
"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 
which shall be to all people," — and whose message 
has come down through the centuries, bringing 
"peace on earth, and good will to men." 




shaduf: upper egypt 



CHAPTER VIII 
The Land of the Czar 

ON a morning of the week following 
Christmas we say good-bye to our Ger- 
man friends in Berlin, and turn our faces 
toward the land of the Czar. 
It is with a feeling of pleasure, for we are antici- 
pating seeing sights new to us, and having experi- 
ences hitherto unknown. Some of our friends have 
tried to dissuade us from going alone, by telling us 
how an American has been thrown into prison in 
Germany, and it is almost impossible to bring his 
case before the courts, — thus we can see what may 
happen to us in Russia. As a rule, the Germans 
have little use for the Russians, so we are somewhat 
cynical about their advice, but a Russian friend as- 
sures us it is perfectly safe for two ladies to go to 
that land by themselves. 

We have read several books concerning Russia, 
but no one of them has anything very favorable to 
say of the country or its people. We can find no 
English guidebook about Russia, so from that 
source we can expect no assistance. But we are 
sallying forth, equipped with some letters of intro- 
duction to Russian families, a French Baedeker on 
Russia, a map of the country, a fair speaking knowl- 
edge of French and German and our passports, the 
latter being the most valuable acquisition, and desir- 
able weapons, for without these we can never set 
foot on Russian soil. And even with these docu- 
ments, people sometimes encounter serious difficul- 
ties, as was shown a few weeks ago at the time of 

8i 



82 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

the airship exhibitions in Germany, when an aero- 
naut had his balloon wafted by some unfavorable 
breeze across the border, and it came to the earth 
in Russian Poland, where the authorities caused him 
considerable annoyance before he succeeded in mak- 
ing his way back to Germany, though he had taken 
the precaution to carry a passport with him. 

We have not left Berhn far behind us before we 
see women setting out small pines in large quantities. 
Forests of this kind of trees are seen in all stages of 
growth, and, as they increase in size, they are thin- 
ned, every bit being utilized, so scarce is wood in this 
country. Large mounds of dirt, containing pota- 
toes, are thrown up in the fields where these vege- 
tables are raised. The country, on the whole, is 
level and reminds one of our own western prairies, 
though rather more undulating. Generally the 
houses of the German peasants are built in hamlets 
and the barns are attached to the dwellings. 

Our traveling companion, in our coupe, is a hand- 
somely dressed German lady, but we soon get ac- 
quainted and find her very affable. She can count 
to five, and say "good night" in Enghsh, while her 
knowledge of French is a little more extended, but 
her German is easily understood and she is quite 
talkative, telling us much about St. Petersburg, con- 
cerning which she knows a great deal, as her hus- 
band was a Russian and they lived in that city six 
years. Thus the day passes pleasantly, though we 
have very little reading matter, as we were informed 
that books and papers could not be carried across 
the frontier. At 11.30 o'clock in the evening, our 
companion, who has been over the road many times, 
tells us that soon we will cross a small stream which 
divides the very northeastern part of Germany from 
Russia. 

In the darkness we can see the gleaming of the 



THE LAND OF THE CZAR 83 

water of a stream, and, after crossing this, the train 
soon comes to a stand-still. The men in long white 
aprons rush through the corridors of the cars, all 
anxious to carry our Handgepack, or luggage. We 
have not walked a rod on the station platform be- 
fore an official asks for our passports, without which 
we would not be allowed to go into the waiting room 
for the customs examination. After some delay an 
official appears with the passports and calls the 
names contained therein. Now they are ready for 
the examination of the baggage, but if this document 
had not been viseed within the legal time, they would 
not have touched it. A Russian stands next to us, 
and we notice that they pry carefully into his carpet- 
bag, while on the other side they rummage our Ger- 
man companion's bags quite thoroughly, but,^ much 
to our surprise, they scarcely lift an article in our 
suit cases. We feel that it is out of respect to Amer- 
ica, and not to us individually that they are so lenient. 
Such consideration always makes an American proud 
of his country, and thankful that he was born under 
the stars and stripes. 

The first object which had attracted our attention 
in the customs room was sort of an altar on one side, 
and above it was a large picture of Christ, below 
which burned several candles. As officers and work- 
men passed before this they would stop and cross 
themselves. Our train does not leave till one o'clock, 
so our German friend says we must have a cup of 
tea made in the huge samovar on the table in the 
adjacent restaurant. It is certainly good and the 
Russians claim that its excellence is due to the fact 
that it Is brought overland from the East, while the 
tea of Western nations loses its flavor in its transpor- 
tation by water. 

One is impressed immediately by the size of the 
Russian cars. They are as large as those in our 



84 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

country and have wider trucks, because the roadbed 
of their railroads is broader than that of the Ger- 
mans, and they make it thus, so that, in case of war, 
the latter cannot run their trains over the Russian 
rails. Our sleeping coupe is most comfortable; it 
contains four berths, and when the upper ones are 
not occupied they can be raised part way so as to 
afford a place for bags and clothing, and leave more 
space above the lower berth. In coupes having only 
two berths, there are wash-bowls arranged so that 
they will shut up into the wall. For day use the 
upper berth is let down and forms the back of the 
seat, which runs across the car. The corridor ex- 
tends along the side of the car from one end to the 
other, while the doors are at the ends, as in Ameri- 
can cars. This arrangement of sleepers is found in 
cars owned by what is known as the International 
Car Company and they are used in most European 
countries. On the whole, it is preferable to the Pull- 
man system, as it insures more privacy. 

There are no other passengers in our car, so we 
have it all to ourselves, and feel that we are travel- 
ing in state. The porter acts as conductor, and a 
notice, printed in six different languages, informs us 
that: "Upon request the conductor will clean the 
shoes of the passengers." French is evidently the 
language most generally used, for the bills of fare 
in the dining car are printed in that language. 

Before our companion retires she surprises us by 
drawing from her stockings two packages of dia- 
mond rings, brooches, etc. ; some of the stones being 
fully half an inch in diameter. We suppose that this 
display must comprise all her stock in this line, but 
soon she brings to light other gems of almost equal 
beauty and value. She informs us that her husband 
gave her many of these pieces, and that the Russians 
are particularly fond of jewelry. She says she is 



m 



THE LAND OF THE CZAR 85 

very glad she is not alone in the coupe, and that we 
are with her. So she locks the door, taking the extra 
precaution to fasten it with a cord, and is soon lost 
in sleep, dreaming probably about her jewels, while 
our thoughts wander far across the seas to a land so 
unlike this in every particular. 

We awaken about ten o'clock the next morning 
and find that we have passed through Russian Poland 
in the night, and are now really in old Russia. The 
ground is covered with snow, and, at a station where 
the train stops to take on wood, which is the fuel 
burned in all the engines, we see the moujiks with 
their sledges, the horses having the douga — a high 
wooden bow extending above the collar — to which 
the shafts are directly attached, there being no tugs 
or hold-backs, and we feel that surely this is a most 
fitting and characteristic sight for our first view of 
the land of the Czar. 

The country is somewhat undulating, and with its 
forests of fir, alder, willow and birch which are now 
shrouded in their mantle of snow, the effect is most 
pleasing. An occasional cluster of low, unpainted, 
wooden houses gives us some idea of the homes of 
the peasants. They do not look very inviting or 
comfortable, with the small, low windows, over the 
lower part of which boards have been nailed to pro- 
tect the inmates from the snows of winter. Scarcely 
any sign of life can be seen around them, not even 
a dog, and, if they have any cattle, they are in some 
hovel seeking shelter from the cold. Sometimes we 
see a moujik with a load of wood which his horse is 
drawing from some distant forest, as fuel for the 
family. The land is poor and becomes so dry In 
summer that the peasants have great difficulty in 
raising enough to eke out an existence through the 
long, cold winter. A peasant may starve, but no one 
need go cold, for the forests are so abundant that a 



86 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

man with much energy can get fuel enough for his 
family. 

About seven o'clock our train pulls into St. Peters- 
burg, and it is on time. We are sure that in con- 
structing Russian train schedules, they first ascertain 
how slowly a train can run. By adjusting the time- 
table to this rate, they are certain to be always on 
time. As we alight we see all classes of Russians on 
the platform from the tall officer, glittering in gold 
embroidery and epaulets, to a moujik, who is clad in 
huge boots, large fur coat, and a black cap of the 
same material which looks as if it must be three 
inches thick. Soon we come to four hotel men, and 
one of them, stepping forward, says: "Mees Per- 
kin?" We nod assent, and feel so surprised and 
pleased to hear even this remote reminder of our 
name, that we can almost shake hands with the man 
— which, however, we do not do. We had written 
to a hotel that we would come, but did not expect 
them to be on the lookout for us. 

The snow has fallen to a depth of nearly three 
feet, but enough is cleared from the street and side- 
walks so that the sleighing is fine. A long line of 
sledges which, in winter, take the place of the dros- 
kies used in summer, are standing near by. They 
are so very small that it seems as if we might almost 
lift one. The driver occupies the front seat which 
is raised a little higher than the rear one, on which 
only two persons can sit. In fact, a driver is liable 
to a fine of five roubles if he takes three persons. 
The seat is very narrow, with no protection at the 
ends, and we cannot see why people do not fall off. 
Evidently the natives think there is danger, for often 
you will see a Russian man having his arm around 
the lady with whom he is riding. The huge, fur robe 
has a loop by which it is fastened to each corner of 
the sleigh, and, in going around sharp turns, one 



THE LAND OF THE CZAR 87 

clutches that for support. The body of the sledge 
is not more than a foot from the ground, so it is 
easily entered. The horses are remarkably fine, and 
show good care, though we have seen none blanketed 
when standing still, and often they will be covered 
with frost or ice formed of the frozen sweat. 




A Russian Sledge 

The isvochtchiks, or drivers, of these conveyances 
are often peasants, who can speak nothing but Rus- 
sian, and that not very intelligibly. They wear a 
huge fur coat with the hair inside, and they look as 
if they were wadded to their utmost capacity. 

Before we have removed our hats, upon reaching 
our hotel, a bell-boy says that the police would like 
to see our passports. 

After dinner the porter of the hotel calls a sledge 
and tells the driver that we wish to be taken to the 
Hotel de la France, where we have told him we 
wish to call upon a friend. The distance is less than 
a mile and the price is twenty kopecks (ten cents). 
After we have made our visit there, and are about to 
have the porter in that hotel summon a sledge for 
the return, our friend says : "Why don't you take a 
runner, and have a fast ride for about three-quarters 
of an hour, if you are warmly enough clad?" We 
accede, and thus, we suppose, the order is given in 
Russian to the driver. If one has never taken a 



88 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

sleigh ride in the clear, crisp air, with the mercury 
bordering on zero, when, as the Russians say, "You 
can see your breath freeze," and behind a horse 
going at the rate of twelve miles per hour, he has no 
conception of the exhilaration experienced, — the 
"spell of the North" is upon us. We soon enter the 
highway along the banks of the Neva, which is 
frozen so hard that a track is laid across it on the 
ice and street cars go from one bank to the other 
every ten minutes. On and on we go, almost clash- 
ing with neighboring sledges, but always just missing 
them. We scurry past the long line of imperial 
abodes and see the Winter Palace, begun by Peter 
the Great and the scene of so many tragedies in the 
history of the royal families of Russia. The present 
Czar has not ventured to take up his residence here 
during the last eight years, but spends his winters 
at Tsarskoe Selo, twenty miles from the city, and his 
summers at Peterhof, a little farther distant. We 
can see the bright lights in the houses of dukes and 
duchesses, and we know that gaiety reigns within. 
We glance up at the yellow walls of the Duma, one 
of the youngest of the world's parhaments. While 
in the distance rise the towers of the fortress of St. 
Peter and St. Paul that seems to guard the prison 
where the political offenders are kept, as well as the 
dark vaults of the church in which sleep all the Czars 
beginning with Peter the Great. On the opposite 
shore loom up the buildings of the university where 
3,000 students are in attendance. 

The ride is most enjoyable and full of excitement, 
but we begin to feel cold, and wonder if the limit of 
time is not reached, so we shout "stoi," which the 
driver heeds at once, by coming to a standstill. Then 
we exclaim, "Hotel d' Angleterre," a shake of the 
head indicates that our Jehu understands not one 
syllable, and, as "stoi" is about all we can say, we mo- 



THE LAND OF THE CZAR 89 

tion for him to go on, which he does, at even a more 
fearful rate than before, while we are now sure that 
the porter must have told him to carry us for an 
hour, or perhaps more. We are wondering what we 
can do, when suddenly we turn a corner and the 
beautiful dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral comes into 
view, and near by we can see our hotel. 

The city is very lively and gay, as it is the great 
holiday season — the Russian Christmas-tide, January 
seventh being Christmas day. 

We have seen enough to arouse our interest, and 
we realize that there is much in store for us in this 
city founded by the Great Peter. 



CHAPTER IX 

The Political Situation in Russia — Seeing 
THE Czar 

UPON reaching St. Petersburg some of the 
persons to whom we had letters of intro- 
duction said : "This is just the time to come 
to Russia to see the Hfe of the people; 
their preparation for Christmas; the snow and 
sledging and many other things incident to this sea- 
son, which is far better than the summer for visiting 
this land, because then every one who can, leaves 
the town; but, on the other hand the times are very 
troublous from a political standpoint, and on that 
account we consider it most inopportune. Last week 
the chief of the secret police was killed; two bombs 
were found in the Winter Palace, and arrests are 
constantly being made. The Czar is coming back 
from the Crimea, where he has been three months, 
on account of the ill health of the Czarina, and he is 
expected to attend the funeral of his great uncle, the 
Grand Duke Michael, the oldest member of the im- 
perial family. Therefore, every precaution is being 
taken to protect him on the day of the obsequies. 
There is great excitement and you may not find it as 
pleasant as you otherwise would." "But," we re- 
plied, "that is just what we want to see. If there is 
so much excitement, it will afford us a better oppor- 
tunity to study conditions and see everything for our- 
selves, therefore we regard the times as most oppor- 
tune; and, if we are discreet, we see no reason why 
we need get mixed up in it, at least, to the extent of 
being arrested." "All right," they said, "if you wish 

90 



SEEING THE CZAR 91 

to see the political aspect of affairs you are here at 
a most desirable time. But remember," they said, 
on leaving us that night at our hotel, "if you do get 
into trouble send for us." This offer of protection 
was a welcome assurance, because we knew that in 
some of these persons we had real "friends at court." 

For a few days we had a most excellent guide, — 
the first time we had ever been obliged to secure the 
services of such a person, — to show us about a town 
and take us to places of interest. After these first 
days we picked up enough words to find our own way 
around quite well by ourselves. 

It is a fallacy to believe that every one in St. 
Petersburg and Moscow speaks French and German. 
No policeman, driver, ticket agent, or guard in gal- 
leries, museums or palaces, can, as a rule, speak 
one of these languages. The Russians are fine lin- 
guists and the higher classes and nobility can nearly 
always converse in several tongues. We asked a 
Russian lady how it was they learned foreign lan- 
guages so easily, and she said, "After a Russian has 
broken his tongue mastering his own language, he is 
well fitted for any other." 

The very first day of sightseeing proved the truth- 
fulness of our friends' remarks In regard to the con- 
dition of political affairs. We wished to take a pic- 
ture of a public square, and just as we were getting 
the camera ready the guidesaid, "Don't do it, the 
police may think you are trying to get a photograph 
of the place so as to see where to station people with 
bombs, for the funeral procession of the Grand Duke 
will pass this way next week." On all sides there 
was a restraint which was felt by every one, including 
those with whom we talked during our stay. To^ all 
appearances everything was quiet and orderly, just 
as in any European town, but we had a feeling all 
the time — perhaps quickened by our own Imagina- 



92 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

tion and the many stories we heard — of something 
underneath it all, intangible yet real, a something 
which is only awaiting the propitious moment when 
it will break forth and consume all before it. 

Many of those who are in the government circles 
did not hesitate to express their opinion, while mem- 
bers of the so-called Socialist Revolutionary party 
were willing to talk, but several times said, "I will 
tell you later when no one is near, for you never 
know who can understand." 

The freeing of the serfs was a great step for- 
ward. Certain lands have been granted them, but, 
as the peasant says, he has been obliged to run into 
debt for cattle and the wherewithal to manage his 
farm. Uneducated and improvident, these toilers of 
the soil have had a hard time, so that in many cases 
the poor moujiks' extremity has been the nobleman's 
opportunity to buy his land at a small price. 

The poorest classes revere the memory of Alexan- 
der II. who was killed, undoubtedly, at the instiga- 
tion of the nobility, just as he was about to give the 
nation a constitution. 

We talked with various people in regard to the 
preparedness of the people for a constitution, and 
some would express themselves most emphatically in 
favor of such an act, while others would say the 
time had not yet arrived. 

As various events which caused the last revolution 
were described and the injustice of the government 
dwelt upon, we said: "But you have the Duma, isn't 
that helping to improve matters?" And the reply 
was, "No, the Duma does not do anything," and that 
was a common complaint. Yet this body has passed 
an act preventing any royal child, at its birth, except 
one in the Czar's own family, from receiving two 
million roubles, the amount which has hitherto been 
given every prince. Now the nobles must look for 



SEEING THE CZAR 93 

support to their own revenues, which, in many cases, 
are enormous. 

Schools have been established in various sections 
of the country, so that the children of the village can 
usually have some instruction. The school inspector 
reports that attendance is increasing, though there is 
nothing obligatory about it. We could not find that 
the schools anywhere were absolutely free, but each 
person is taxed for their support. The very fact 
that schools are being established is a most hopeful 
sign, and we believe that education will lessen the ig- 
norance and superstition which has held these mil- 
lions in a bondage little worse than serfdom. With 
the ignorant their religion amounts almost to fanati- 
cism. It is said that a man will buy a candle and 
after lighting it, place it before his patron saint, to 
whom he will offer a prayer for assistance in what- 
ever he is going to do, be it a robbery or some worthy 
act. 

When one sees the magnificent palaces, with some 
of the rooms of amber, where even the furnishings 
would build hundreds of school buildings; churches 
with pillars of malachite and lapislazuli; shrines of 
solid silver; and thousands of ikons in gold frames, 
adorned with diamonds and other precious stones of 
inestimable value, when one has gazed upon all of 
this he feels the force of the remark of a university 
professor, when he said, "The trouble is we arc 
given too much church and not enough education." 
After we had seen the riches expended upon some of 
the largest cathedrals in Russia, as well as the mar- 
vels of the treasury in Moscow, we said to a young 
Russian, "What do the common people, those from 
the provinces, think of all this magnificence?" For 
we had seen the countrymen who had come into Mos- 
cow to spend the holidays, walking around and gaz- 
ing in rapt amazement at all the display, and he 



94 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

replied, "They just take it for granted that it must 
be so and never think further." 

These persons revere the Czar and always speak 
of him as "Little Father." There are two classes 
who make attempts upon his life, the Nihilist, which 
means usually the younger generation, and to a cer- 
tain extent the student body, — this class do it because 
they feel that only in this way will the people obtain 
a just government. The other class is composed 
really of the discontented in the official circles, — 
those who feel that the nobility are losing ground, 
and that the removal of the Czar will bring in some 
other form of government from which they can de- 
rive more personal benefits and emolument than they 
are receiving at present. It is these persons who do 
not wish to have the condition of the common people 
improved, and who interpose every obstacle possible 
toward the establishment of a better form of gov- 
ernment. This last seems to us to be the worst 
aspect of the political situation. The Czar realizes 
he has enemies in his own camp, for plots have been 
laid bare, which could only have been designed by 
some one in his official household. 

Undoubtedly the Czar is a man with little force of 
character, as the following illustration will show. 
One of the members of his cabinet suggested that a 
certain building should be painted white, and his ma- 
jesty concurred, saying, "I fully agree with you." 
The next morning another member of the cabinet 
called, and told the Czar that the building in question 
should be painted brown, whereupon his majesty re- 
plied, "I think you are quite right." In a few hours 
a third minister saw the Czar, and insisted upon the 
building being painted gray, whereupon he replied, 
"I agree entirely." It was not long before the 
Czarina came to him and said, "Nicholas, I think 
it is time you had your own idea about that building, 



SEEING THE CZAR 95 

and stopped accepting the views of others." The 
Czar replied, "You are quite right, Alexis. I fully 
agree with you." 

One certainly pities this royal pair, for they live in 
constant fear for their lives. For two years, we were 
told, that all the food he had was locked in a metal 
box as soon as it was cooked, and then sent in that 
manner to the table, where the Czar himself unlock- 
ed it and took out the contents. About a year ago he 
discontinued this practice, saying, "I have but one 
death to die, and shall take this precaution no long- 
er." They are said to be an ideal couple, and their 
marriage, unlike the majority of royal unions, was 
an affaire du coeur. The Czar is very fond of his 
family and they are almost inseparable. A lady who 
employs one of the court physicians told us that one 
day when the doctor came to see her, she said he had 
just left the Czar lying on the floor, barking like a 
dog to amuse the baby. 

The Czarina, who was the daughter of the Prin- 
cess Alice of Hesse, and therefore granddaughter of 
the late Queen Victoria, is an ideal mother, looking 
personally after the education and training of her 
children. She seems to delight more in her family 
than in affairs of state. On account of her disin- 
clination for functions, and the fact that the country 
has been engaged in wars and revolutions for the 
last decade, there has been but little social activity 
at the court, dinners and state balls being relegated 
to the past, all of which is most disappointing to 
those who revel in society. When the present Czar- 
ina came to the palace she found a most immoral 
condition of affairs, but she is said to have made a 
clean sweep and removed all the court attendants, 
reducing the number to about one-third, and procur- 
ing only those who were honorable and upright in 
their standard of living. 



96 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

It is an open secret that the Dowager Empress re- 
tains in her court persons of doubtful character, and 
she has been most unkind in her treatment of the 
Czarina so that the Czar has been forced to forbid 
her coming into the palace. She had always been 
granted precedence over the Czarina on all state 
occasions, up to the time of the birth of the crown 
prince, as the Dowager Empress was not only the 
mother of the Czar but also of Prince Michael, who 
is the Czar's younger brother, and after him, next to 
the throne. Since the coming of the little boy, five 
years ago, she is no longer first lady of the land and 
is thus more jealous of the Empress than heretofore. 
It is said that it was really she who caused the Em- 
peror, some years ago, to revoke the edict granting 
full liberty to the press. 

Probably there is no government in which the 
officials are more corrupt, and where graft is more 
openly practiced than here in Russia. During the 
Japanese war a merchant gave some 3,000,000 blan- 
kets for the soldiers. Some weeks later it was dis- 
covered that the Grand Duke Sergius, governor gen- 
eral of Moscow, was selling these same blankets in 
the market-place and pocketing the proceeds. Sergius 
was given this important office in Moscow because 
he had made himself so obnoxious to the people ot 
St. Petersburg that it was impossible for him to 
remain there longer. In his new position he soon 
made himself hated by various acts, among which 
was the expulsion of the Jews from Moscow, when 
15,000 Jews were driven from the city. Some ot 
them, it is interesting to note, went to America, 
where they became citizens, and have since returned 
to their native city, and are now doing business there 
under the protection of the United States. But bad 
as the political corruption is, there are some rays of 
hope, for we learned that the Czar has just ordered 




K > ■'. 






w^ i 




SEEING THE CZAR 97 

an investigation concerning the unlawful expendi- 
tures of some millions of dollars during the Japanese 
war. 

As one travels in Russia he feels that the secret 
police constantly employ a system of espionage, 
which cannot have a salutary influence upon the peo- 
ple or government. After one of the officials had 
been on duty the day before from four o'clock in the 
morning till eleven at night, and had described in our 
presence some of the hardships incident to his posi- 
tion, he exclaimed, "Oh, what a life!" And we 
thought that was a mild way in which to express his 
dissatisfaction with the whole system, which in itself 
is most complete and far-reaching. We were told 
that these secret officers invaded all the walks of life, 
and were to be found in every conceivable place — 
there were probably three or four in the hotel where 
we were stopping, A gentkman told us that he 
never invited a few friends to his house in the even- 
ing but that he expected some of them would be 
members of the secret force, though he had no means 
of knowing who they were. Thus it is easily under- 
stood how every one must be on his guard as to the 
opinion he expresses. There is no other country 
with a similar civilization where one can experience 
such coercion, and where his very words are re- 
pressed until he begins to fear he will think out loud. 

The secret police took a most active part in pre- 
venting any disturbance during the funeral of the 
Grand Duke Michael Nikolovitch. A blinding snow 
storm had been followed by a thaw. Sand had been 
strewn from the Moscow station to the fortress of 
St. Peter and St. Paul, where the interment took 
place, but this only seemed to make the walking 
worse for those who followed the casket. The Em- 
press and grand duchesses rode in the state carriages, 
each of which was drawn by six black horses draped 



98 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

in mourning. Then came the Emperor and grand 
dukes on foot, with heads bared, in spite of the in- 
clement weather. Thousands of soldiers and gen- 
darmes lined the streets, and guarded all approaches, 
while an order had been issued that no window along 
the route should be occupied. But enormous sums 
were paid for seats in restaurants from which people 
could get a glimpse of the gorgeous pageant. Two 
hundred Cossacks formed the immediate body-guard 
of the Emperor. Then came five regiments from 
Tsarskoe Selo, both cavalry and infantry. On and 
on they marched over the Troitsa bridge to the For- 
tress Church, in which the casket was placed on a 
catafalque, beneath a gold and white canopy, sup- 
ported by gilded columns at the four corners. Here 
a requiem of two hours' duration was said for the 
departed. During the service the Czar and Czarina 
sat upon the royal dais, while every one else stood, 
as is the custom in Russian churches. 

About two hours after the funeral, as we were 
passing along the streets near the Summer Gardens, 
we noticed the absence of sledges and the number ot 
secret policemen on the sidewalk. Our Russian 
friend said, "I believe the Emperor Is coming back 
from the funeral, along this street, in order to visit 
his favorite Church of Kazan before returning to 
Tsarskoe Selo." We stopped, but a policeman told 
us to "keep walking," and soon we reached Suzoroff 
Square, near the Troitsa bridge, where some seventy- 
five persons had congregated on the corners, having, 
like ourselves, seen evidences of the Emperor's ap- 
proach. No vehicle was allowed to cross the bridge, 
even the royal mail wagon being forced to take an- 
other route, something which, our friend said, she 
had never seen done before. The funeral carriages 
returned, carrying their occupants to the Winter Pal- 
ace. Then came some who had walked, but were 



SEEING THE CZAR 99 

met by their private sledges, or troikas, the latter 
drawn by three large, black horses abreast, the mid- 
dle one having the douga, or round, wooden yoke 
standing above the collar. This middle horse al- 
ways runs, while those on each side gallop. The 
three horses, going so rapidly, threw up a cloud of 
snow, which would prove very unpleasant for the oc- 
cupants of the sledge, were it not for the immense, 
high dashboard in front. 

While standing there a regular policeman and a 
secret service man took their places directly behind 
us, where they remained for half an hour until they 
were convinced that we were not suspicious charac- 
ters. 

As we looked toward the bridge suddenly our 
friend said, "There they come, that is the Cossack 
who always sits upon the box of the Czarina's car- 
riage." The Czar sat on the side next to us, so we 
had a good opportunity to see the "ruler of all the 
Russias." They were wholly unattended, not a guard 
being in sight, with the exception of the policemen 
on the sidewalk. After they had passed our friend 
felt that they ought to have cheered, and said as 
much to the policeman standing near by, who an- 
swered, "We had better cry, for we have stood in 
the icy water here since four o'clock this morning." 
As soon as the royal pair had passed, the policemen, 
with one accord, broke into smiles, greatly relieved 
to think that their sovereign had gone safely through 
their district; if anything had befallen him, all of 
them would have been arrested and deprived of their 
positions, even though proven innocent. As we left 
the square, our friend remarked, "You see our Czar 
can drive through the streets unattended," all of 
which was true, but no one knew he was coming. 

The royal family have not lived in the Winter 
Palace since the last time the Czar blessed the waters 



loo OUR YEAR ABROAD 

of the Neva — eight years ago, when, after the cere- 
mony, the soldiers, instead of firing the usual salute 
with blank cartridges, directed their guns, loaded 
with real powder and ball, against the Palace. 

When the Czar recently returned from the 
Crimea, the railway was guarded by 300,000 troops 
— a soldier being stationed every hundred yards on 
both sides of the track. He had planned to stop at 
Moscow, but a plot was unearthed which caused him 
to change his plans and come directly through to St. 
Petersburg. Thus this poor man lives in constant 
fear of death. His wife and children are nearly al- 
ways with him, ready to share his fate, because the 
Czarina says she does not want her son to live to rule 
over a people cruel enough to murder his father. 
Surely the old adage, "Uneasy lies the head that 
wears the crown," is especially applicable to this sov- 
ereign, and most certainly he has cause for fear. 

We asked a very intelligent man in Russia in re- 
gard to his opinion of affairs, and he said, "They 
will ultimately kill the Czar and some of the higher 
officials, that is inevitable. They may wait until the 
vigilance is somewhat relaxed, but it seems to be the 
prevailing idea that, in spite of the secret police, and 
every precaution taken by the government, their 
ruler will be removed in some way." Another said 
"A revolution is bound to come, but from it will re- 
sult a form of government better than we have ever 
had before," But from our standpoint as an onlook- 
er we cannot see how the death of the Czar, or a 
revolution, will directly benefit the people, or im- 
prove present conditions. 

Russia is a great country, with vast resources and 
a people we cannot help liking, but the path by which 
she has reached her position is a winding one, mark- 
ed by bloodshed at every turn, and, if present con- 
ditions are any augury for the future, we fear that 
the end Is not yet reached. 



ry 



CHAPTER X 

A Russian Funeral 

HERE are three events in the life of a 
'person which are full of interest, the chris- 
tening, marriage, and funeral, and wher- 
ever these are seen they are always attend- 
ed with forms and ceremonies which are characteris- 
tic of that people. 

Therefore we counted ourselves fortunate when, 
one morning, as we were going to see the Alexander 
Nevski Convent in St. Petersburg, our friend said: 
"I believe a funeral will be held there this morning, 
for I notice the green sprigs which they have scat- 
tered along the street." Just as we alighted from 
our sledge a white hearse, drawn by six beautiful 
gray horses, entered the gateway in the walls of this 
monastery. The hearse had no sides, and the casket 
was covered with wreaths of flowers, some natural 
and many of metal or porcelain, such as are com- 
monly used in decorating graves and tombs through- 
out Europe. In front of the hearse was a sort of 
Grecian chariot, with silver finish and drawn by a 
fine, white horse. This had been filled with green 
branches, or twigs, which the driver had strewn 
along the way. By the side of the hearse walked the 
bearers, twelve men clad in heavy, white broadcloth 
trousers and long overcoats of the same material, 
decorated with brass buttons. These men are fur- 
nished by the funeral bureau for this purpose, in- 
stead of having friends of the deceased perform the 
duty. After the hearse came the priests, bearing 
lamps, and banners, and then followed the Immediate 

lOI 



I02 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

relatives and a few friends in carriages. 

Though this man was a senator and very well 
known, yet we do not think there were over two hun- 
dred people present in the Church of the Saviour 
where the funeral was held. The casket was carried 
into the church, and placed on a catafalque where it 
could easily be seen by the whole audience. 

A congregation in a Russian church always stands 
during the service, no matter what it may be. The 
choir of men and boys, concealed from view, sang, 
and the priests read from their prayer book. 

We remained about half an hour, and then our 
friend suggested that we go and look at the cathedral 
situated in the same grounds, and return again, as 
this service might be three hours long. So we quietly 
withdrew, passing through the long cloisters, where 
the monks take their exercise in bad weather, and in 
that way we soon reached the cathedral. 

Catherine II. built this cathedral in 1796 and, as 
this monastery is the seat of a metropolitan, of whom 
there are only three in Russia, it was considered de- 
sirable to make this edifice one of the most beautiful 
in Russia. In order to decorate the interior as finely 
as possible, Carrara marble was brought from Italy, 
agate from Siberia, jasper from the Urals, and pearls 
from India. The paintings are good copies, after 
Raphael, Guido Reni, and Perugino, while the altar- 
piece is by Raphael Mengs. The ikons are most 
elaborate, and are nicely decorated with jewels and 
precious stones. This cathedral contains the shrine 
of Alexander Nevski, which is of massive silver and 
weighs over 3,000 pounds; it was made from the 
first silver obtained in the mines of Kolyvan which 
Peter the Great left to his daughter Elizabeth. This 
cathedral possesses a rare collection of jewelled 
mitres, rich pontificial robes in gold brocade, and 
souvenirs of various princes. Among the latter is 



A RUSSIAN FUNERAL 103 

an amber staff presented by Catherine II. and one 
of wood made by Peter the Great. 

In the hbrary near-by are rare old volumes and 
valuables almost without number, the crown of Alex- 
ander, and the bed on which the Great Peter died, 
being among the most interesting. The Czar recent- 
ly ordered that the candles, used in lighting the 
church, should be removed and electric lights substi- 
tuted, but these are in the form of candles with burn- 
ers of low power, so that they do not differ essential- 
ly in appearance from real candles, except that the 
light is brighter. In one corner is the shrine of 
Christ, beside which stands a sarcophagus, supposed 
to contain the body of Christ. At Easter this is car- 
ried into the centre of the church, and placed on a 
raised platform. Then the people, led by the priests, 
carrying banners, march around the outside of the 
church singing. When they return to the place where 
the sarcophagus has been deposited they find it has 
disappeared, the floor having opened in some mys- 
terious manner and swallowed it up. Then the priests 
shout: "He is risen," and the people reply: "He is 
risen indeed," and all fall on each other's necks and 
kiss one another. 

After looking at some of the treasures in the great 
mass which belong to this monastery, we hastened 
back to the funeral. Perhaps a few more persons 
had come in, and among them the nine ministers in 
the Czar's cabinet. They did not stand together, 
but were scattered through the audience, yet all, 
probably, were within a radius of thirty feet. Our 
friend said that the man, who stood about two feet 
from us was Stolypin, the prime minister whose 
house was blown up some years ago by a bomb, 
which a woman had concealed in a bundle resembling 
a baby. She had gained admission for the ostensible 
purpose of presenting a petition to the prime minis- 



I04 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

ter, but, instead of that official appearing before her, 
he sent in his secretary to see what the woman want- 
ed, while she, supposing it was Stolypin himself, who 
stood in her presence, dropped the bundle on to the 
floor, and a terrific explosion resulted, in which the 
woman and the secretary were killed, and two of the 
minister's children were badly injured. In the church, 
on one side of this minister, stood one of the Czar's 
aides, and on the other a chamberlain. The gold 
decorations of these officials formed a pleasing con- 
trast to the sombre gowns of the relatives of the de- 
ceased. In fact, quite a brilliant effect was produced 
when the candles, which had been passed to each per- 
son in the room, were lighted. We could not under- 
stand a word, as the whole service was in Slavonic, 
but occasionally our Russian friend would tell us 
what they were saying, and evidently all the specta- 
tors fully comprehended the meaning, for they made 
the sign of the cross, bowed, and prostrated them- 
selves at certain places. Like all Russian churches 
this was built in the form of a Greek cress, and be- 
hind the altar were the large doors in front of the 
Holy of Holies, where no woman is ever allowed to 
enter. Soon a high priest opened these doors, and 
we could see the metropolitan kneeling there, clad in 
his rich pontificial robes, with his mitred cap, adorn- 
ed with rare jewels. The priest bore aloft the sacra- 
ment, and swung the lamps, scattering incense on all 
sides. Then the metropolitan came out and took his 
place at the head of the casket, and seemed to con- 
duct the service, which had hitherto been in the hands 
of the high priests. They brought out an immense 
Bible, decorated with gold, and held it, while this 
high official of the church read a chapter and then he 
asked God to receive the deceased into heaven, while 
the choir, impersonating angels, replied in song, 
which was really very beautiful, though there was no 



A RUSSIAN FUNERAL 105 

accompaniment, as the Russians never have an or- 
gan, or any kind of a musical instrument in their 
churches. After more than two hours the service 
was concluded by the reading of a prayer, printed in 
gilt letters on a thick kind of paper which looked like 
parchment. Then the priest folded and placed it in 
the hands of the dead man. This prayer is called 
"the passport into heaven." An American friend 
whom we were telling about it afterwards, said that 
he supposed this document had been duly viseed by 
the Russian consul. Then a message was read from 
the Czar, who had sent a handsome floral piece. 
Beginning with the widow, the immediate family, 
ministers of state, friends and servants walked up 
and took a last look at the body, kissing it, as they 
turned away. After the lid was put onto the casket, 
the pall-bearers carried it into the yard, and to an- 
other church in the monastery grounds, where the 
interment was to be made. 

We remarked to our friend that we should not 
think the ministers would dare to be there unpro- 
tected, and she replied that every other man in the 
room, including the bearers, was probably a secret 
police officer. 

She had previously warned us to look out for our 
bags and purses, because thieves always found a 
place in a crowd. The relatives passed out before 
us, and then we went through the door with the re- 
mainder of the people, probably not more than fifty 
persons, but among them must have been some crook, 
for no sooner were we down the steps, than our 
friend exclaimed: "I have been robbed," and sure 
enough a thief had opened her hand bag, and taken 
out a little silver purse which she prized highly, as it 
had been given her by one of the royal family and 
contained a three rouble gold piece, a very rare and 
valuable coin. 



io6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

As we proceeded to the other church we passed 
near the tomb of Rubenstein, on which had recently 
been placed an immense wreath of flowers, it being 
the week in which they were celebrating the fiftieth 
anniversary of the establishment of the conservatory 
of music in that city by this noted musician. Not far 
away was the grave of Tchaikowski, whose memory 
is greatly revered by every music-loving Russian. 

The Church of the Trinity, where the interment 
was made, was almost filled with graves and tombs, 
the latter simply marked by a block of white marble, 
about three feet high and eighteen inches square at 
the base, on top of which a little lamp is kept contin- 
ually burning. This senator's family must have been 
a very old one, for its tomb occupied a place imme- 
diately before the altar railing. The vault was some 
fifteen feet deep, and was made thus because on top 
of this man's casket would be placed that of his wife 
when she died, and possibly those of other members 
of his family above hers. 

After a brief service held here by the metropolitan 
and high priests, the lid was soldered onto the casket, 
a procedure lasting about twenty minutes, so slowly 
and clumsily was it done. The casket was lowered, 
and then a basin of dirt, with three tin scoops in it, 
was passed, and each person threw a quantity of the 
sand down onto the coffin, and, as it struck the metal- 
lic lid, a thud was produced which seemed gruesome 
to us who had never seen it done before. This 
closed the exercises, and the relatives and friends 
went home to a luncheon, which always follows a 
funeral. Formerly it was a real feast, after which 
dancing was in order. 

The services had continued three hours, and those 
at the churches had been preceded by one In the 
home of the deceased. During this time the people 
had remained standing, and scarcely a sign of grief 



A RUSSIAN FUNERAL 107 

or sorrow had been seen. We were told that the 
expense of this funeral, exclusive of the interment, 
was five thousand dollars, and this sum went into the 
coffers of the monastery, whose annual income is 
already two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 

All this, and yet just outside of its very gates a 
row of beggars can be seen any day, and evidences 
of the extreme poverty of the people are visible on 
all sides. 



CHAPTER XI 

Our Second Christmas 

NEVER before had it happened to us to 
have two Christmases in one year. 
We left Berlin on December twenty- 
ninth, and reached St. Petersburg on De- 
cember seventeenth, according to the Russian calen- 
dar, which is Gregorian, and differs from ours by 
thirteen days. Consequently we had eight days in 
which to witness the preparations for Christmas in 
this far off land. While the Russians are devoted to 
their church, yet there is not the universal prepara- 
tion for celebrating the birth of our Saviour that we 
saw in Germany. One does not find so many Christ- 
mas trees on the street for sale, and this is undoubt- 
edly due to the poverty of the people, many of whom 
cannot afford anything significant of the day, and 
to the cold which is often so extreme that dealers 
cannot stand on the streets for any length of time 
selling trees. 

However, the flitting of hundreds of sledges, con- 
taining gay occupants, and the numbers frequenting 
the shops all Indicate that something unusual is about 
to happen. We never weary of watching the multi- 
tude, — some clad in furs, while others look as if they 
ought to be to keep themselves comfortable. One 
would suppose that a people living in such a cold 
climate would become Inured to the cold, and to a 
certain extent they may be, but they take all due pre- 
caution to protect themselves against the inclement 
weather when they leave their well warmed houses. 
Clad in fur caps, around which Is often wrapped a 

io8 



OUR SECOND CHRISTMAS 109 

scarf; wearing a paletot, or overcoat, lined with fur, 
and having a beaver collar; with large fur or wool 
overshoes, they are prepared for the cold which is 
generally below zero. 

The Russian prides himself on his furs and some- 
times wears a paletot costing a thousand roubles. It 
is claimed that a man is rated according to these 
articles, and there is a saying in Russian, "Tell me 
what furs you wear, and I will tell you how much 
you are worth." 

During this holiday season the theatres and operas 
are well patronized. There is the same appearance 
of jollity and esprit de corps prevailing that are seen 
in a German place of amusement. Between the acts 
the people go out and have light suppers, and per- 
ambulate up and down the corridors. It seems 
strange to see "Carmen" in this frozen region, but 
after witnessing it the spectator feels that the Rus- 
sian is specially adapted for the parts of this opera. 
While we think of this people as rather stolid and 
unemotional, and a race from which one would not 
expect great singers to come, yet in the last few years 
some very noted vocalists have been Russian. 

The art galleries are visited at this season by hun- 
dreds who enjoy the riches of the Hermitage, where 
have been collected works of art that any other 
European gallery would highly prize. As we ascend 
the marble staircase and wander through the great 
halls full of canvases from the brush of Murillo, 
Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Velasquez, Leonardo, 
Raphael, Correggio, Tintoretto, Van Dyck, Teniers, 
Ruysdael and others, we realize that we are gazing 
upon some of the best art of the ages. 

The works of Russian artists are seen in the Alex- 
ander 11. Museum, and here we find gallaries full of 
pictures painted by Vereshchagin, several by Mun- 
kacsy, and many by others of lesser fame. But 



no OUR YEAR ABROAD 

probably Ryepin deserves as much credit as any ar- 
tist, though his pictures are not seen in America as 
commonly as are those of the other Russians that 
we have mentioned. 

We look upon all this art with great interest, be- 
lieving that when Russia shall have been released 
from the bondage of the present, and the people shall 
have come into their own, then Russian art will find 
itself, and be deservedly recognized by other nations. 

The hospitality of this people is proverbial, and 
our letters of introduction give us the entree to 
houses where we see the home life. On Christmas 
eve we take a sledge, and are whirled along over the 
snow through the keen, cutting air to the house of 
one who has asked us to meet some of her friends on 
this occasion. We are invited for eight o'clock, but 
the other guests do not arrive till nine, and we are 
told that the Russians always go at late hours. A 
young lady says that she often attends dances begin- 
ning at eleven o'clock at night. 

Since the revolution, eight years ago, every house 
has its guard, who sits in a sort of sentry box near 
the door or gate, and it is his business to know every 
person who enters. The houses are usually built of 
wood or brick covered with stucco, and generally 
there are several apartments under one roof. The 
windows are double, and the window sill between is 
filled with fine sand to absorb moisture. There are 
no outside blinds or shutters, and one of the inside 
panes is hung on hinges so that it can be opened for 
ventilation. Huge porcelain stoves diffuse a steady 
heat, and the temperature of the rooms is maintained 
at about sixty-eight to seventy degrees, which ren- 
ders the atmosphere conducive to the growing of 
many kinds of plants, among which are those pe- 
culiar to tropical countries. As a rule not so many 
pictures are seen in a Russian house as In American 



OUR SECOND CHRISTMAS iii 

homes, but rich hangings adorn the walls, while the 
floor is most attractive with Oriental rugs and skins 
of animals. In this particular home, where we are 
guests, a huge polar bear skin on the floor of the 
drawing-room, recalls our proximity to the Arctic 
regions. A dinner of caviar, fish, moor-fowl, and 
ham, served with anchovies, olives and cheese, and 
having pudding and fruit for dessert savors of some- 
thing foreign. As in all European countries, there is 
always wine, for the Russians are fond of various 
kinds of beverages. From the copper samovar on a 
little stand at the right of the hostess, she gets the 
hot water, and draws the tea which is an unfailing 
accompaniment of every meal. We must here bear 
witness to the Russian cup of tea, which, served in 
glasses, set in silver holders, with lemon and sugar, 
(no milk or cream ever being used) , is par excellence 
the most refreshing of all draughts. While the 
French cuisine is somewhat imitated by the Russian 
people, yet they have their national dishes, of which 
they are very fond. 

The conversation on this occasion is in English, 
German, and French, — all the family speaking each 
of these languages, except the good wife who knows 
no English. The parents and three daughters have 
traveled quite extensively in Europe, but have never 
visited America, so they have many questions to ask 
about that far away land. After dinner the mother 
sings for us, and we look at photographs and talk 
till about eleven o'clock, when we begin to think of 
taking our leave, but they will not listen to our going 
at that early hour, so finally it is near midnight be- 
fore we say our adieux and take our departure. Be- 
fore leaving we ask if it is safe for two ladies to go 
home alone in a sledge at this time of night, and our 
host replies that it is, only he advises that we do not 
talk so that our driver will know that we are for- 



112 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

eigners. A warning that we faithfully heed, even 
when another sledge passes so closely that it strikes 
our own and breaks one of the shafts, but the driver 
quickly repairs it, and we are soon speeding onward 
like the wind. 

Christmas morn dawns bright and beautiful, and 
we are awakened by the bells of St. Isaac's Cathe- 
dral, just across the street, as they call the worship- 
per to early service. After the first meal, which is al- 
ways served in our rooms, and the day's supply of 
drinking water is boiled on the small alcohol lamp 
which we carry with us, we sally forth in quest of a 
sledge. Soon the bargain with the driver is made, 
and we start on our ride around the city, well nigh 
enveloped in the furs and robes so necessary for our 
comfort. Soon we pass the Church of Our Lady of 
Kazan, with its semi-circular colonnade, built in imi- 
tation of that of St. Peter's at Rome. This is a fav- 
orite church of the Czar, and one often visited by 
him when he is in the city. At a distance we see the 
watch-towers where they keep a man walking all the 
time to discover fires, — an arrangement similar to 
the Galata in Constantinople. We stop to see the 
royal carriages, — and a most interesting collection 
it is, composed of vehicles of every description from 
the sledge of Peter the Great to the gold-trimmed 
equipage in which the present Czar rode. 

The Memorial Church of Alexander II. built on 
the spot where that monarch was killed by a bomb 
thrown at his carriage, attracts our attention. The 
exact spot in this church where he met his death has 
a marble canopy or chapel over it, and here are still 
shown the cobble stones, left undisturbed and stained 
dark with the emperor's blood. Supporting this 
canopy are posts of solid jasper, while from the edge 
hangs a row of golden lamps that are kept constantly 
burning. This monarch's memory is deeply revered 



OUR SECOND CHRISTMAS 113 

by the people and the poorest moujik will uncover 
his head as he passes this shrine. The exterior of 
this church is not very pleasing with its Byzantine 
effect, but the interior is tasteful and attractive. 

On we speed near the old gardens of Peter the 
Great, and out across the river to the Islands, where 
we see beautiful villas erected for summer homes by 
the wealthy people of the city. Then we retrace our 
steps to the banks of the Neva, where we take a trol- 
ley car that crosses this wide stream on rails laid on 
the ice. 

In the afternoon we set out by steam cars for 
Tsarskoe-Selo, situated thirty miles from this city, 
and the home of the Czar. Some of the villas here 
were built by Catherine II. but the Empress Eliza- 
beth finished the palace which was begun by the 
great Peter, though Catherine lived here many years. 
Like some other structures of its kind there cannot 
be much comfort in these large rooms with their 
stately furniture. Some of the halls show an expen- 
diture of great sums in their decoration, though it 
is not always in the best of taste. One room Is 
coated with amber, which is transparent in places, 
and this was presented by Frederick the Great. In 
another we find a floor laid with exotic woods at a 
cost of fifty dollars per square yard. Many presents, 
given by other rulers to the Czar, are here pre- 
served, as well as certain personal belongings. The 
visitors at court are entertained in this large, old 
palace, but the Czar lives in one about a quarter of 
a mile distant. He and the Czarina can sometimes 
be seen walking In the gardens In summer, or snow- 
balling each other and playing with the children In 
winter. They are very fond of snow, and often 
take rides In a troika, when she generally holds the 
reins of the three steeds that resemble those In 
bronze that adorn some of the famous buildings in 



114 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

Europe. 

In the village we visit the home of a peasant 
where the grandmother of fourscore years, shows 
with pride her ikons with the lamps burning under- 
neath. High up on top of the huge brick oven the 
children sleep the coldest nights. Just outside the 
door is a sort of a cave in the snow which they say 
was dug by tramps for a sleeping place. 

On Christmas night every one in Russia attends 
church. Even if he has not been within the doors 
during the year, he will go on this occasion. As the 
bells of St. Isaac's are pealing we enter its portals. 
This structure is said to be fashioned after St. Paul's 
of London, but one might say that it is a composite 
made from that edifice, the Pantheon of Agrippa, St. 
Sophia, and the dome of the Invalides in Paris. It 
is built on piles, and has the form of a cross. Forty- 
eight huge monoliths, seven feet in diameter and 
fifty-six feet In height, uphold the ceiling of the four 
porticoes. As one gazes upward he feels that he is 
looking at the columns of Karnak, and, indeed, they 
cannot fail of exciting wonder and admiration, for, 
next to the Column of Alexander in St. Petersburg 
and Pompey's Pillar, they are the largest single 
stones that have been cut, rounded, and polished by 
man. Three massive bronze doors, the central one 
weighing 48,000 pounds, admit one to the interior, 
where he is at once Impressed by the colossal 
grandeur of the architecture and the richness of 
decoration. Polished pavements, brilliant frescoes, 
and rarest marbles produce a wonderful effect, es- 
pecially when the whole is lighted by hundreds of 
electric lights, In addition to the candles burning be- 
fore the saints or Ikons. One reason for the separa- 
tion of the Greek from the Latin church was because 
the former objected to the use of figures or statues 
in their places of worship. Therefore, to take the 



OUR SECOND CHRISTMAS 115 

place of this kind of representation, the Greek 
Church has paintings or pictures of Christ or a 
saint, showing head and shoulders, and the parts 
which should be clothed are covered with gold or 
mosaics, and often decorated with precious stones; 
sometimes this portion will be covered with rows of 
pearl beads, worked in with a needle by the Cossack 
women. Such pictures are called ikons and are found 
in churches, cathedrals, and private houses. Of 
course those in the houses are much less expensive, 
and it is said that no Russian family is so poor that 
it cannot have some ikon on its walls, though simple 
and inexpensive it must necessarily be. 

The iconostase, or wall separating the church 
proper from the arcana, is covered with these ikons. 
Three porphyry steps lead up to it, while supporting 
it are eight Corinthian columns of malachite, and 
two of lapis lazuli. A white marble balustrade 
forms a sharp line of demarcation between the priest 
and the worshipers, while in the centre of the iconos- 
tase is a door leading into the Holy of Hohes within 
whose sacred precincts women's feet are never al- 
lowed to enter. But through this doorway we can 
see a painting of Christ, brilliantly lighted on this 
eventful night, and it is most beautiful. There is 
also a picture of Christ on silk, lying in a golden 
casket which at Easter is taken out and carried three 
times around the church. In a case we see two large 
Bibles encrusted with precious stones, among which 
is a diamond three-fourths of an inch long and one 
inch wide, — a fit rival of the Kohinoor itself. 

The service is conducted by the Metropolitan of 
St. Petersburg, assisted by several priests, and all 
stand on a sort of dais placed In the center of the 
church under the dome for this particular service. 
This high official of the church Is clad in a mitred 
cap and flowing robes of white cloth, embroidered in 



ti6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

gold, so that he looks like some Eastern monarch. 
The audience is a very cosmopolitan one, being com- 
posed of all classes of persons from the army offi- 
cers, resplendent in red and gold, down to the poor- 
est moujik. But the whole is a scene of grandeur 
and impressiveness such as our eyes have never be- 
fore beheld. Quite in contrast with this is the row 
of twenty-three beggars, lame, halt, and blind, stand- 
ing just inside the great door and asking for alms. 
We also count some twenty-five boxes on a table, 
each holding offerings for some particular charity or 
fund. No peals of any great organ add to the 
solemnity of the occasion, yet without this aid, the 
vocal music is impressive. The spoken words of the 
head of this church do not hold our attention for the 
service is all in Russian, but it is the splendor of the 
scene that holds us spellbound. 

We leave it all and go out into the keen, blue, 
cold air of this northern latitude, and gaze upon this 
massive pile by the light of the full moon, and, as its 
rays gleam upon the colossal dome, and glint arch 
and architrave we feel that the nineteenth century 
has produced no structure for divine worship com- 
parable to this. 

We hail a driver and in his swift flying sledge we 
are whisked away to the home of another friend, 
where we enjoy the pleasure of a real Russian Christ- 
mas night, with a tree, music, supper and all the ac- 
cessories that render it ideal. In the late hours we 
seek our hotel, and fall asleep as St. Isaac's bells are 
sending forth their midnight peals, proclaiming what 
we wish might be peace and good will among all the 
inhabitants of this great empire. 



CHAPTER XII 

New Year's in Moscow 

THE railroad connecting the two largest 
cities of Russia has a length of 400 miles, 
and is straight as the bird flies. In fact, 
when Czar Nicholas I, ordered this road 
built, they asked him as to the route it should fol- 
low, and placing a ruler on the map between the 
two cities, he said, "There build your railroad." 

The traveler, in going to Moscow, makes a num- 
ber of stops at a few fairly prosperous villages, 
where often picturesque groups of moujiks have as- 
sembled to watch the arrival and departure of the 
train. These peasants, clad in their long wool cloaks 
lined with a skin whose fur is turned inside, high 
leather boots, and fur caps, never fail to interest the 
stranger. Sometimes there is a station where the 
train stops for wood, and in such an one we can find 
a buffet whose chief articles of food are tea and 
soup. An old proverb says that the three greatest 
gods of the Russians are Tshin, Tshai, and Shtshee, 
— rank, tea, and cabbage-soup. 

As the darkness comes on not many signs of life 
do we see, but the hills and valleys are covered with 
snow as far as the eye can reach. In the Russian 
folk-lore, this reason is given for the uneven sur- 
face of the country: — "When the Lord was about 
to fashion the face of the earth. He ordered the 
Devil to dive into the watery depths and bring 
thence a handful of the soil he found at the bottom. 
The Devil obeyed; but when he filled his hand, he 
filled his mouth also. The Lord took the soil, 

117 



ii8 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

sprinkled it around, and the Earth appeared, all 
perfectly flat. The Devil, whose mouth was quite 
full, looked on for some time in silence. At last 
he tried to speak, but was choked, and fled in terror. 
After him followed the thunder and the lightning, 
and so he rushed over the face of the earth, hills 
springing up where he coughed, and sky-cleaving 
mountains where he leaped." 

As the moon rises the scene becomes most weird 
and beautiful, and at one station we see a troika, 
and in the distance a road leading away into the 
country. The Russian poet Pushkin must have 
looked upon just such a scene many times, for he 
says in his poem entitled, "The High Road in Win- 
ter:" 

"Between the rolling vapors 
The moon glides soft and bright; 
' Across the dreary fallows 

She casts a mournful light. 

"Along the wintry highroad 
A troika moves fleet; 
Its little bells are ringing 
One silver tone and sweet. 

"No lights, no black-roofed dwellings — 
Silence and snow. I see 
For mile on mile the road-posts 
*In striped monotony." 

As we alight from our train the next day in the 
great city of Moscow it seems as if it were even 
colder than in St. Petersburg, and this is the case, 
because the latter is nearer the ocean, so that its 
mean temperature is higher. 



*In Russia the sign-posts are painted black and white, 
in vertical stripes. 



NEW YEAR'S IN MOSCOW 119 

In entering this white-walled town the stranger 
immediately notices the signs of age and its Oriental 
appearance ; and it does not seem to be as clean and 
well kept as the capital of Russia. As a rule the 
dwelling houses are not uniformly good. A small, 
shabby building may stand next to a pretentious 
structure. 

The city is built in circles around the Kremlin, 
which occupies the highest point. First there is the 
Tartar Town, separated trom the Kremhn by a 
high wall; then comes the White Tower, named 
from the color of the wall that encloses it; and lastly 
we have the suburbs, with the encircling rampart of 
earth. 

No city, except Rome and Jerusalem, is so loved 
and revered by so many people as is Moscow. 

It is certainly a city of churches, which have 
domes of copper or tin painted green or gilded, so 
that in shape they remind one of inverted turnips. 
The churches are much higher than the other build- 
ings, giving the impression, as some one has well 
said, that "The houses of men seem to sink back 
into the earth, the houses of God to spring upward 
toward heaven." 

On our way up into the oldest part of the city 
we look into the Iberian Chapel, built in 166^ to 
hold the most celebrated image in Moscow, — that 
of the Iberian Virgin, which is a painting, adorned 
with precious stones, and supposed to heal the sick 
and perform various miracles. It is carried daily 
through the streets of the city in a carriage drawn 
by eight beautiful horses, and as it passes on its 
errands of mercy, the people take off their hats. 
When the Czar enters the city he first goes to this 
chapel and seeks a blessing from the Saint. 

The Tartar Town, or Red Place, is the old busi- 
ness portion of the city and here the lapse of years 



120 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

has changed but httle the impress of the Tartar oc- 
cupation, and one almost feels as if he were in Con- 
stantinople as he wends his way through the fifty- 
five long, narrow passages and 1,200 shops of the 
Great Bazaar of the "City of Cathay." Here we 
find all the products of Russian industry, as well as 
much that has crossed Siberia from the Orient. The 
purchaser must be wary, or he will pay double the 
value of the article he desires, but if he is willing to 
barter and assume a nonchalant air, as if he did not 
care much about it, then the tradesman will usually 
come down to a reasonable price; especially if one 
carries the bluff so far as to go out of the door, as 
though he were about to leave, in which case he will 
often be followed by the dealer, who will accede to 
his request, and the customer can get the object de- 
sired at his own price. 

This huge Bazaar must not be confounded with 
the hostelry called the Slavonski Bazaar, and situ- 
ated in the same part of the town. If the visitor 
does not have permanent quarters at his inn he 
should go there for a meal, when he can indicate the 
kind of fish which he desires by pointing it out in a 
tank that is full of them. The fish is then caught, 
cooked, and soon served in such a manner as to 
satisfy the most fastidious. 

On the other side of the business section is the 
Red Square, where stands the church of St. Basil 
the Beatified, — the most peculiar of all the churches 
in this strange town. Napoleon's orders to have 
this church destroyed were not carried out, and the 
incongruous pile still stands, a monument to the 
fancy of Ivan the Terrible, who ordered it built as a 
thank-offering for the taking of Kazan. According 
to a legendary tale, this ruler so delighted in its 
grotesqueness that he unmercifully put out the archi- 
tect's eyes in order that he might never be able to 



NEW YEAR'S IN MOSCOW 1 2 1 

build another like it. The pagoda-shaped canopy 
still seen on the wall of the Kremlin, is said to have 
sheltered Ivan while he watched the building of this 
church of St. Basil. 

Near by is the round stone known as the tribunal 
from which official edicts used to be proclaimed. 
It was also the place where Ivan the Terrible caused 
the many executions which made his name so hated 
by the people. The superiority of the Patriarch over 
the Czar was shown, when at Easter, the latter 
would lead an ass, which the former had mounted, 
from the Tribunal stone, and would ride to the 
Cathedral of the Assumption. 

'Tis New Year's morning and, with the rest of 
the crowd, we hasten through the Gate of the Re- 
deemer. Above the entrance is a picture of the Re- 
deemer of Smolensk, which has been styled the 
"Palladium of the Russian Empire," because of its 
efficacy in warding off a foreign foe. The Tartars 
tried to remove it, but the ladder used for that pur- 
pose broke, and they gave it up in disgust; the Poles 
fled before it when it was carried by Pojarski; and 
the French turned a cannon upon it, but the powder 
would not ignite. On account of all these wonder- 
ful interpositions the people bare their heads in pass- 
ing through this Porta Sacra, even the Emperor 
conforming to this custom. 

The Kremlin wall has five gates and is surmounted 
with sixteen towers. One of the most important is 
that of St. Nicholas, on which is the immaculate 
mosaic of that worthy man, which has come to be 
the "dread of perjurers and the hope of the suffer- 
ing." Oatlis were formerly administered to liti- 
gants before this image. Napoleon's troops split 
the tower down as far as this picture, but it is said 
that not even the glass, or the lamp hanging in front 
of it were broken. Trinity Gate is the one through 



122 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

which the most of the army of Napoleon entered 
and left this sacred hill. 

The Kremlin is not only a fortress, but it is the 
shrine of all Russia, and here the proud rulers have 
raised monumental structures, and hither have great 
generals brought their richest trophies. It is the 
center of the city,— the acropolis, as it were, both on 
account of its importance and from its position. A 
grand and impressive pile, nearly a mile and a half 
in circumference, and situated high on the banks of 
the Moskwa, it overlooks the country in all direc- 
tions. "Voila Rome Tartaref" exclaimed Madame 
de Stael when, standing on this eminence, she saw 
the marvellous panorama spread out before her, and 
well might she say it, for the view from the terrace 
of the Kremlin somewhat resembles that from the 
Pincian Hill in Rome. 

There are over three hundred churches in the 
city, and their towers and domes rise in all direc- 
tions, a conglomeration of painted and gilded Mus- 
covite architecture, which seems more appropriate 
than real Byzantine or Gothic in this land of snow 
and ice. 

In the distance are the Sparrow Hills from which 
Napoleon, glad at the sight, first beheld the city of 
Moscow and exclaimed, "There is the famous city 
at last; it is high time." He might well have con- 
sidered it "high time" after he had lost so many 
soldiers, as they had waded through the snows of 
Russia for its possession. How disappointment 
would have filled him in that proud moment, had he 
realized that at this date nothing would remain to 
indicate his coming except a picture of his retreat, 
hung on one of the walls of the palace. 

The most beautiful church in all the city, and a 
conspicuous object as seen from the Kremlin south- 
west of that hill, is the Temple of our Saviour, built 



NEW YEAR'S IN MOSCOW 123 

to commemorate Russia's victory over the French. 
Begun in 1839 and completed in 1883, it was made 
wholly of material found in Russia. It is very im- 
posing, with the exterior of white marble, and the 
interior richly decorated with gold and different col- 
ored stones. The central dome is ninety-eight feet 
in diameter, and rises far above the four other 
domes. Through forty-two windows sufficient light 
enters to make the interior seem more cheerful and 
attractive than is the case in most Russian churches. 
It is very large and spacious, and will hold seven 
thousand people. One hundred and seventy-seven 
tablets give the names of battles, and of the officers 
who fell during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. 

As we consider the structures which have made 
the Kremlin one of the most interesting spots in the 
world, we naturally begin with the Tower of Ivan 
the Great that rears its bulbous dome 300 feet above 
the pavement. The whole is surmounted with a 
cross which Napoleon removed, under the impres- 
sion that it was made of gold. 

On the ground at the side of the tower is a colos- 
sal bell weighing over 125 tons, that has a piece 
broken out of its side so that it looks like a door- 
way. The real story of the origin of this bell is lost 
in the obscurity of the ages, but it was probably 
never hung, or was broken in the attempt to raise it 
into position. 

A chapel occupies the ground floor of the tower 
and above it rise tier upon tier, containing in all the 
thirty-four bells which have made this tower so 
famous. The lowest bell weighs sixty-four tons, and 
is the monarch of bells the world over, while the 
others diminish in size to two small silver ones hung 
in the upper row. 

These bells are rung at Christmas, New Year's, 
and Easter, and with the crowds that have assembled 



124 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



this New Year's morning to listen to them as they 
"ring out the old and ring in the new," we stand in 
rapt attention. We cannot blame the people for 
revering this tower of bells so full of music that is 
beyond compare, as it peals out in this clear North- 
ern air, and dies away across the distant plain. In 
our home-land we have listened many times at the 
midnight hour to the bells in some great metropolis 
ushering in the New Year; at close of day we have 
heard the Westminster chimes In London town, and 
the great bell in York cathedral, the largest in Eng- 
land, but only one-fifth of the weight of this huge 
one that rocks in the Kremlin tower; some three 




With deep affection and recollection I often think of the 
S hand on Bells 

months ago we sat in wonder on a bench far up in 
the tower of the old church in Cork, as the sexton 
rang 

"The Bells of Shandon, 
That sound so grand on 
The pleasant waters 
Of the river Lee;" 

As the sun set on Tuscan Hills it has seemed as if 
the peals from Giotto's tower were indescribably 
grand; gladly would we hear again the notes of the 
old bell in the tower at Pisa; clear and beautiful 
are the tones of the great bells which call the people 



NEW YEAR'S IN MOSCOW 125 

to prayer and praise In the cathedral at Berlin; long 
will the sound of the bells in the Giralda Tower in 
Seville live with us; but time can never efface the 
memory of, — 

"That distant chime ! as soft it swells, 
What memories o'er me steal! 
Again I hear the Moscow bells 
Across the moorland peal ! 
The bells that rock the Kremlin tower 
Like a strong wind, to and fro, — 
Silver sweet in its topmost bower, 
And the thunder's boom below. 

"They say that at Easter dawn 
When all the world is fair, 
God's angels out of heaven are drawn 
To list the music there. 
And while the rose-clouds with the breeze 
Drift onward, — like a dream, 
High in the ether's pearly seas 
Their radiant faces gleam. 

"O when some Merlin with his spells 
A new delight would bring. 
Say : I will hear the Moscow bells 
Across the moorland ring! 
The bells that rock the Kremlin tower 
Like a strong wind to and fro, — 
Silver sweet in Its utmost bower, 
And the thunder's boom below I" 

As the crowds disperse, many go into the neigh- 
boring Cathedral of the Assumption to say a prayer 
before some ikon, and wander over the pavements 
of this old temple which has become the Holy of 
Holies for all Russia, because here the various 
Czars are crowned, after having endured a season 



126 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

of fasting and seclusion, and for the reason that 
many distinguished patriarchs and saints are buried 
here. The four pillars, supporting the domes on 
the roof of the church, are covered with frescoes. 
Paintings adorn the walls, and one of the most In- 
teresting Is that of the "Last Judgment," which 
commemorates the representation leading to the con- 
version of Vladimir, — the first Russian prince to 
accept Christianity. Like most churches In this 
land It Is dark, cold and full of gloom, which is only 
relieved by the Incense and burning candles. In the 
Sacristy are mitres and robes of Patriarchs, set with 
jewels, and It Is here that the holy ointment used at 
the baptism of all persons, and at the consecration 
of every church, is prepared in silver vessels during 
Lent by the highest church officials, and sent out to 
all the bishops In the empire. This ointment is 
probably similar to that which Moses was ordered 
to make according to the rule given in Exodus XXX. 

Near this cathedral is that of the Annunciation in 
which the Czars are married, while In that of the 
Archangel Michael, which Is close at hand, they 
were all burled up to the time of Peter the Great. 

In the rear of the Cathedral of the Assumption 
rises the white, marble palace, surmounted with 
a gilded dome built by Emperor Nicholas, though 
some portions of It, they claim, are remnants of the 
old edifice of Ivan the Great. The most noted part 
is the "Red Staircase," where the Emperor appears 
after his coronation. Here the sovereigns used to 
receive the petitions of the people; the Important 
document being laid on a stone in the courtyard 
where he could see It and, If he wished, he would 
then send a servant for It. Could these stones speak 
they would relate many a bloody tale, for this stair- 
case has witnessed some of the most dreadful scenes 
that have blackened the history of this land. 



NEW YEAR'S IN MOSCOW 127 

The most attractive room in the palace is that in 
which the coronation ball is held, but a very curious 
part is the Terem where the Tsaritsas and, in fact, 
the family of the Emperors, used to live in compara- 
tive seclusion. They never appeared in public, and 
were even less often seen by the people than are the 
women of the harems in the East to-day. As we 
wander through these halls it seems as if the spectre 
of Ivan the Terrible, or that of his seven wives, 
must haunt the place, for he rivalled Bluebeard him- 
self in deeds of cruelty. 

The neighboring treasury is probably the richest 
in the world with its wealth of trophies, mementos, 
and royal robes. It is replete with old Russian 
armor, muskets, and swords decorated with gold 
and inlaid with ivory; standards borne before the 
Czars at their coronations, and banners carried in 
many a conquest; old state carriages used at the 
court of Moscow; a large vehicle, which, with eight 
horses, was presented by Queen Elizabeth of Eng- 
land to Boris Godunof, — the panels being painted 
with an allegorical allusion to a crusade which the 
Czar had wished to make against the Turks, but in 
which Elizabeth declined to take part; a small car- 
riage with mica windows owned by Peter the Great 
when a child; a stuffed horse belonging to Catherine 
II. reminds us of her love for horseback riding; the 
camp bed abandoned by Napoleon in his flight from 
Moscow, also his pillow-case in which he had placed 
important dispatches; portraits of the Romanoff 
family, and other distinguished rulers; the constitu- 
tion that Alexander L gave Poland, and near by the 
colors which this monarch presented to the army of 
that country; gold and silver plate of incalculable 
value, and works representative of the art of every 
European country, — Charles I. and James I. of 
England having given many articles. There are 



128 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

thrones of various kinds, but among the most inter- 
esting is the one of carved ivory used by the present 
Emperor at his coronation, and said to have been 
brought by Sophia from Constantinople; also the 
throne on which the Czarina sat at the same time 
which is studded with 876 diamonds and 1,223 
rubies, besides many turquoises and pearls. Un- 
comfortable must be the heads that wear some of 
the crowns shown here, so weighty are they with 
jewels and precious stones; Peter the Great was re- 
splendent in one containing 900 diamonds and a 
large ruby; but the Empress Anne could boast of 
having the richest diadem, which was ornamented 
with 2,536 diamonds, and an immense ruby bought 
at Pekin in 1676 by an ambassador of Alexis; coro- 
nation robes and regalia of princes from the time of 
Catherine I., all made of cloth of gold and heavily 
trimmed with rare old lace, add their share to the 
wonders of the treasures here displayed. So com- 
mon are the jewels and precious stones that one 
fails to appreciate their true value. 

Many other things attract the visitor, who can 
spend days in seeing the riches and wonders of this 
shrine of the Empire, but the setting sun is gilding 
anew the high domes, and leaving a roseate hue 
upon the snow of the distant hills as it sinks in the 
west. We look once more at Ivan's bells, and then 
wend our way downward, realizing that in this 
white-walled city we have much in store to fill the 
first week of the Russian New Year. 



CHAPTER XIII 

The Women of the Spreewald 

ONE bright, cold morning finds us in Burg, 
at the heart of the Spreewald country, 
forty miles from Berlin. 
We remember the interesting accounts 
we have heard of the inhabitants of this region, 
whose Wendish ancestors, migrating from Asia dur- 
ing the sixth century, when Slavic hordes of barba- 
rians overran Europe, settled the country now em- 
braced in the kingdom of Prussia. From the days 
of Charlemagne till the present hour these people 
have been so completely isolated from their neigh- 
bors that advancing civilization has obtained little 
foothold in their midst. 

They communicate their thoughts by the same 
language that their wild forefathers spoke thirteen 
hundred years ago; they find shelter under the 
thatched roofs of the same styled houses, as forty 
generations have done before them; while the 
women go to church in the picturesque costumes that 
their grandmothers wove by hand. 

Their tongue still twists itself into those Slavic 
knots, which render the Russian language so im- 
possible; and its uncouth sounds so closely resemble 
the speech of their cousins, the Cossacks, that a 
gentleman from Odessa told us he could understand 
everything the Spreewalder says, though the neigh- 
boring Prussians cannot make out a single word of 
this Slavic diction. 

Clear notes of the church bell warn us to make 
haste, if we wish to see these peasants in the full 
glory of their picturesque attire, but once In the 

129 



130 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

streets of Burg not much of a metropolis greets our 
eyes, accustomed to city sights. 

A few cement buildings of the usual European 
type contain the post office, two general stores, a 
pharmacy, and we beheve, a shoe shop, though we 
are not sure of its real nature, as a red calico curtain 
and a string of dried peppers obstruct the view of 
the interior from the gaze of the over-curious pass- 
er-by. A snow white country lane under barren 
sycamore trees; ancient timber houses, whose thatch- 
ed roofs almost touch the ground; an old-fashioned 
well-sweep, most unhappily supphed with a shining 
tin bucket, invite the traveler with a camera to a few 
minutes of perfect bliss. 

Our eyes see possibilities for a successful picture 
in an overhanging balcony carved in fantastic de- 
sign, and two small boys chopping wood beneath its 
shade, but hopes are frustrated as the youngsters 
retire in dismay when the kodac snaps open. "Would 
you, my little man, like to have your picture taken?" 
only effects a further withdrawal into the shelter of 
the doorway. Two pieces of silver, forthcoming 
from the pocket of the foreign lady, change the sit- 
uation slightly, as promises of these riches induce 
the older one to return to his work, but the younger 
runs away crying, and all the pecuniary reward is 
bestowed upon the lion-hearted brother. 

Up the main thoroughfare approaches a sturdy 
peasant woman with thoughts far removed from 
earthly cares, but the snap of the camera produces 
consternation in her mind, for she throws her head 
high in the air, while a look of contemptuous martyr- 
dom overspreads her countenance, as though a burn- 
ing stake, rather than a peaceful place of worship 
awaited her coming. 

We have an excellent opportunity to secure pic- 
tures of these interesting peasant folk, as they wend 



WOMEN OF THE SPREEWALD 1 3 1 

their way to church down the long road — the women 
In little groups, and the men walking apart from the 
rest — not talking in loud voices, or laughing with 
unseemly mirth, but with spirits full of their sacred 
errand. 

The dress of the Spreewald women, in ordinary 
costume, consists of a very short skirt, cut from 
yards of dark woolen cloth, gathered at the waist, 
but held straight out at the bottom by many crinoline 
petticoats, reminding us of a pen-wiper that stood 
for years on our grandfather's desk, — it was a 
small doll of the dime variety, held in an upright 
position by many plaits of woolen material which 
shrouded her limbs, and, at the same time, served 
to remove the ink from the pen. Beneath the folds 
of the skirt, (the woman's, not the doll's), just a 
glimpse is caught of strong feet encased in heavy, 
home-knit stockings and hand-made shoes quite guilt- 
less of high heels. The white cotton bodice is trim- 
med with a bit of coarse embroidery; the short 
sleeves do not reach the elbows and, in place of a 
chin-choking collar, a dainty kirtle gives a neat finish 
to the neck. As this is Sunday all unseemly display 
of bare arms and neck is concealed beneath a black 
cloth jacket without any pretense to garniture. 

As we notice the ridiculous number of seams in 
this coat, and calculate the hours of stitching neces- 
sary to produce one of these skirts, we marvel at 
the painful industry of these women, who have no 
sewing machines to lighten their burdens, and we 
thank fortune that our lot was cast in a land where 
tailors and narrow skirts abound. 

Who will attempt to describe the headgear of the 
Spreewald women? After long contemplation and 
much study on the subject we cannot tell exactly how 
the marvelous effect is produced, but we surmise that 
an upright board, some two feet in length, is fitted 



132 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



on to the head in a line parallel to the shoulders, 
and over this foundation a fringed shawl is so 
draped as to conceal most of the hair on the fore- 
head, and allow the edge of the cloth to hang down 
the back below the waist line. Ridiculous as this 
description may sound, the effect is really quite pic- 
turesque, but we fear that only a woman "to the 
manner born," could guide such an enormity of 
headcovering through the doors and narrow ways 
of life. 




Women of the Spreewald 

Let us follow this woman to the church where all 
the inhabitants are gathered for divine service. 

Once within its portals we behold an ordinary 
country edifice with whitewashed walls, wooden 
benches, and a clergyman in the surplice of the Luth- 
eran faith. No paintings of saints, no statues of the 
divine Christ, no stained glass windows break the 
stern severity. 

True to the divinely appointed order of creation, 
man takes the foremost place, occupying the pews 
nearest the pulpit; while the weaker sex find refuge 
in the rear of the house; but the youngest members 
of the congregation sit in the gallery, unaccom- 
panied by elders — a state of affairs which we fear 
would be destructive to the solemnity of any re- 



WOMEN OF THE SPREEWALD 133 

ligious gathering in America. Should fifty of the 
children at home be allowed to congregate in the 
gallery of a church we can easily picture the paste- 
board darts and paper wads raining on the heads of 
the people below during some long prayer. We can 
now scrutinize the faces of the women framed in by 
picturesque folds of linen. Wonderfully regular 
are the features, one might say almost classic in con- 
tour, except the cheek bones, which are a bit higher 
than Juno's, and the nose a little sharper than the 
representations of Venus. The hands, clasped in 
the lap of the worshipper, are chapped and hard- 
ened by heavy work in the fields, while the face is 
deeply bronzed by wind and sun, yet the skin pos- 
sesses a smooth beauty never produced by cosmetics. 

A pair of bright eyes look bravely out into the 
future, into a world bounded by a narrow round of 
homely cares and daily sorrows, but lightened by 
the joy and peace springing from a heart whose 
guiding power is the Divine Master. 

We have made arrangements for a long voyage 
of discovery through the canals and streams of this 
country, which afford the only means of travelling 
in the Spreewald. 

At the river's brink we find our boat, provided 
with a comfortable bench, much after the style of 
those used on lawns in America. In the bottom of 
the boat is a warm covering for our feet. A dex- 
terous push by the boatman, with his long handled 
paddle, a cheerful "Auf Wiedersehen" from the 
friendly spectators on the bank, and we are off for 
a journey through the land of the Spreewald. Never 
shall we forget that long day's row through natural 
winding streams and straighter canals, built by man 
as highways of travel and roads of commerce in this 
country where the work of the draught horse is per- 
formed by the o^r of the boatman, while the skiff, 



134 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

silently propelled through watercourses, takes the 
place of the carriage, bouncing over a rocky road. 
Under gigantic trees, full of the glory of primeval 
strength, we pass along, but soon enter flat meadow 
lands, where the hay is stacked on poles out of reach 
of the rising floods of spring, and gardens, raised 
two feet above the surrounding swamp, in which 
celery and lettuce, cabbages and turnips, grown in 
profusion, supply the table of the aristocracy in 
Berlin. 

On elevated patches of ground, often completely 
surrounded by streams, stand the substantial timber 
houses of the farmers, and the airy barns for their 
cattle. 

The open kettles, set up in the yards, remind us 
of the facilities for boiling clothes in some places in 
America, but never have we seen such a display of 
pans and skillets, pitchers and pails, as hang in or- 
derly array on the outside of the house. We do not 
know whether the good Spreewald wife is forced, by 
the enormous size of her head gear to perform all 
the labor of the cuisine without the door of her 
house, but we are sure that sufficient cooking utensils 
are displayed on the exterior of many a Wendish 
home to produce a ten course dinner of French deli- 
cacies at the Waldorf-Astoria. 

At each intersection of stream and canal a sign- 
board points out the direction to the nearest hamlet, 
just as our own guide posts, placed at the four cor- 
ners of the country roads, furnish the traveler with 
knowledge of the distance to his destination. Ameri- 
can sign-posts mark the length of the course in 
miles; the Frenchman employs the kilometer, but the 
Spreewalder defines his journeyings in "Stunde," 
which word we understand to indicate a unit dis- 
tance, rowed by a unit man, in a unit boat, during 
a unit hour. Out of scientific curiosity we are 
prompted to inquire of the boatman why such a unit 



WOMEN OF THE SPREEWALD 1 3 5 

of length never varies with the strength of the cur- 
rent, the brawn of the arm of the oarsman, and the 
weight of the cargo aboard the craft. 

We notice that our progress, which is swift 
enough in the hours of the morning, soon slackens 
to a pace that requires one and a half hours to tra- 
verse one "Stunde" as indicated by the posts. In 
answer to our questions, the oarsman gives positive 
assurance that the "Stunde" is always constant, 
except when an oarsman, unusually skillful like him- 
self, covers the journey in a shorter time. 

Under the leafy shade of the Thiergarten, or in 
the crowded thoroughfares of Berlin, one often 
meets the picturesquely costumed woman of the 
Spreewald pushing the baby carriage of the wealthy 
Prussian, or leading by the hand a toddling child, 
for the German Frau considers her children in style, 
if they are tended by a Spreewald maid in native 
dress. 

Not long ago we read in a German magazine that 
an American millionaire was introducing into the 
United States a company of these women to serve 
in the capacity of housemaids. One illustration of 
the article pictured the smiling countenance of a 
damsel, arrayed in the huge head-dress, outside the 
port-hole of a steamer, and we wondered how the 
person, so depicted, ever succeeded in passing all 
that enormity of fashion through such a small aper- 
ture. 

We do not like to imagine the women of the 
Spreewald, undefiled by the arrogance and vices of 
a proud civilization, walking along Broadway, or 
mingling in the crowds of the great stores. Rather 
would we prefer to think of this plain-minded 
daughter of the free air strolling hand in hand with 
her lover through the glades of her native forest or 
singing merrily as she prepares the evening meal 
over the blazing hearth in her own home. 



CHAPTER XIV 
' Ascent of Mt. Vesuvius 

WHEN one enters the harbor of Naples, 
and watches Vesuvius with the smoke 
issuing from its mouth, he is reminded 
that he is in the neighborhood of vol- 
canoes. But the casual visitor does not appreciate 
that Vesuvius is an outlet for the fires burning in the 
internal regions, until he has looked into the crater. 
To ascend Vesuvius, we drive through the worst 
and dirtiest streets of Naples and out into the sub- 
urbs, past beautiful villas and groves of orange 
trees, laden with fruit, and along the narrow coun- 
try roads, till we reach the village of Pugliano, 
where we take an electric car up the mountain. In 
about twenty minutes we reach a steeper part of the 
road and an electric locomotive, driven by a cog- 
wheel, which runs on a toothed rail, pushes us up a 
grade which varies from eighteen to twenty-five per 
cent. After half an hour we reach the end of the 
railroad, more than half the way up the side of the 
mountain, and here we find horses and guides for 
the next stage of our journey, though some people 
here take chairs which are carried clear to the top 
by six men. The trail passes through the old crater 
from which the eruption took place A. D. 79, when 
Herculaneum and Pompeii were destroyed. When 
we have reached this height we can easily infer that 
in the early history of this mountain there was but 
one peak, instead of the two that are seen at present. 
But when the eruption of A. D. 79, occurred, the 
side of the crater toward Herculaneum broke away, 

136 



ASCENT OF MX. VESUVIUS 137 

and down that side poured the tremendous flow of 
lava and hot mud which buried that city; while the 
wind carried the ashes southward, and these covered 
Pompeii to the depth of many feet. Since then an 
orifice has opened on the south side of the old crater 
through which the recent eruptions have come. 

Our horses are "driven" by the guides, who grasp 
their tails, and tell us to drop the reins, while they 
shout to them something which sounds like Ow ! Ow ! 
when they start off at a John Gilpin pace, much to 
our discomfort. We cry "whoa" which the poor 
animals no more understand than if we said "go," 
but a pull on the reins brings them up, and we decide 
to do no more galloping on the side of Vesuvius. 
We soon reach the steeper part of the ascent, where 
the poor horses, in addition to the weight of the 
riders, are obliged to pull the guides, who hold on 
to their tails, while the footing is often difficult be- 
cause the feet sink so deep into the ashes or cin- 
ders which form the path. Soon we reach a height 
where steam is issuing from holes in the ground 
about us, and our guide puts his hand into one of 
these and scrapes up a handful of mud which is 
quite warm. When we reach a point about two hun- 
dred feet below the top, we are obliged to leave 
the horses, as the ascent here is too steep, and the 
footing is too uncertain. Now begins the most 
wearisome and difficult part of the climb. The sides 
of the cone are steep, and it is impossible to find a 
firm footing in the ashes and pumice which seem like 
coarse sand, into which our feet sink so that we 
sometimes feel that we go backward about as fast 
as we go forward, though a guide walking ahead of 
us pulls at one end of a rope, while we cling to the 
other end, in the hope that we may thus receive 
some slight assistance. Again and again we sit 
down from sheer exhaustion, quite regardless of the 



138 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

nature of the spot where we may be. 

But the toil once over, and the summit gained, we 
are in full view of a scene of surpassing interest. 
Directly in front is the crater, and a favorable wind 
blows the ashes, steam and sulphur fumes in the 
opposite direction. We can hear the boiling, crack- 
ling, seething mass below, and wish we could peer 
within and see what causes it all. Occasionally the 
smoke will lift and we catch a glimpse of the other 
side of the crater. We are warned not to go too 
near the rim, lest it slide down on the inside, and no 
one needs a second word of warning. It is said to 
be dangerous because the wind may suddenly shift 
and blow the sulphur fumes into one's face, but we 
experience no trouble from this source, though the 
smell of sulphur is strong. 

There is a fascination about it, and it is with 
reluctance that we begin the descent. Before doing 
so, we again look about on the magnificent view lying 
below. To the west is the beautiful bay of Naples, 
with the city rising on its northern shores, while to 
the east and south there is a continuous range of 
snow-capped peaks. We look ofF to Capri, Sorrento 
and Castellamare, while nearer to us lies Pompeii, 
beautiful for situation. Between this buried city and 
Vesuvius is the ruined village of Boscatrecasa, which 
was buried by the lava flow of 1906. 

Six months after this last eruption we visited the 
ruins of that town, and saw the devastation that had 
been wrought. The little village was well nigh blot- 
ted out by the flow of lava, which was twelve to 
twenty feet deep in places. It was like a mighty 
torrent which rushed onward, destroying everything 
In Its pathway. The walls of all the buildings were 
broken down, and the people. In their despair, ran 
from their homes into the church, In hopes of find- 
ing safety, but its doors were crushed as If they had 



ASCENT OF MT. VESUVIUS 139 

been made of paper, and all the inmates perished. 

The lava was so hot that the Italians would kick 
it aside in some places and cook their macaroni on 
the spot. We found occasional bits of lava contain- 
ing sulphur, and crowds of children followed us try- 
ing to sell for souvenirs the pieces which they had 
gathered. We felt that these boys were rather 
troublesome when one of them quietly stepped up 
behind the photographer of our party and pressed 
the bulb of his camera, when he had no other film, 
and quite a discussion had just taken place as to 
which of the many views about us, this last precious 
film should be used upon. It is needless to say that 
that small boy kept a safe distance from us after 
this performance. 

The people were already beginning to excavate 
and remove the lava preparatory to rebuilding their 
homes, — all of which seemed very strange to us who 
thought that we would not have the courage to live 
there again. But the people have a feeling that 
each eruption is the last one. 

A young man told us that he had seen the lava 
coming, and had run through the village, giving 
warning to the people. Then he added that his 
parents were in that fated church, and we said to 
him, "Why don't you leave the place, we wouldn't 
suppose that you would dare to live here." To which 
he replied: "Oh, I don't believe another eruption 
will come very soon." 

Between us and the bay lies Herculaneum, cov- 
ered so deeply with a mass of solid lava that very 
little has been done toward excavating it, though its 
hidden treasures are said to surpass anything found 
in Pompeii. A little village has been built over it, 
and the whole landscape at the base of the mountain 
is one of beauty with the bright green foliage, the 
orange groves, the orchards of apricots now in full 



140 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

bloom, and a perfect day to enhance the attractive- 
ness of the whole. 

But as we look upon the scene, we can but wonder 
how many ages will have passed before these vil- 
lages will be buried and again excavated and people 
will be walking their streets as they now walk those 
of Pompeii, and will read upon the walls signs of a 
civilization unknown to the people of that time. 

A call warns us that it is time to begin the descent, 
which consists in ploughing and sliding, and sliding 
and ploughing, until we have descended the cone and 
reached our horses. The guides lead the animals 
down the narrow path, around the sharp turns, and 
we reach the railway in much less time than it took 
to ascend. 

Part way down we visit the observatory and here 
we find all kinds of meteorological instruments, 
seismographs for recording the amount and direc- 
tion of earthquake movements, many specimens of 
the different kinds of rocks thrown from the crater 
in different eruptions, and views of the eruptions 
themselves. 

This observatory is in charge of a member of the 
army, and, as he was recounting the heroism of the 
man who was there at the time of the last eruption, 
and would not leave his post, though he was desert- 
ed by his companions, and the lava flowed on all 
sides, we said to him that we should think he would 
have been afraid; whereupon, an Italian present 
said, "He was a military man," showing his idea of 
a soldier, and his faithfulness to duty. 

Soon we resume our downward journey, reaching 
the hotel after an absence of eight hours, thankful 
for the pleasure of the day, and that we have ex- 
perienced no greater discomfort to ourselves, or 
damage to our wearing apparel, than the spoiling of 
a pair of shoes, which feel as if they were full of 



ASCENT OF MT. VESUVIUS 141 

sand and pebbles, and are worn through In places. 
As a member of our party says, in reference to the 
trip; "It is something one is glad to have done, but 
never wishes to do again." 



CHAPTER XV 

Egypt, the Cradle of Civilization 

" jA RE we to go through the Straits of 
/^L Messina?" was the question asked by 
/ ^ many, as we passed out between Capri 
^ j^and the mainland of Italy, headed south- 
ward for Alexandria. No vessel of the tonnage of 
the Celtic (21,000 tons) had gone through these 
straits since the earthquake, and our captain could 
not decide upon the route until he heard definitely 
from the pilot at the straits. 

During the night the boat proceeds slowly, so as 
to pass through this channel by daylight, and, favor- 
able reports having been received, we enter this 
waterway early in the morning, going directly be- 
tween Scylla and Charybdis, which in the old days 
were the terror of navigators. 

Soon the town of Messina comes into view, but 
no signs of the terrible destruction caused by the 
earthquake are visible, except through the glasses. 
The city is most delightfully situated on the coast 
in a sheltered nook of the mountains. Warmed by 
the rays of the sun and lapped by the waves of the 
sea, with peaks rising thousands of feet above it, 
this town seems a most desirable abode, and not a 
probable place in which the hidden forces of the 
earth would make themselves felt. 

Just across the strait is Reggio, similarly situated, 
but with the mountains behind rising less precipi- 
tously. Beyond this town we skirt the Calabrian 
coast of Italy, most beautiful with villages of yellow 
stone built close to the water's edge; the gentle 

142 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 143 

slopes covered with green, and behind these, the 
wooded hills, overlooked by lofty mountains with 
snow-capped summits. 

The Sicilian coast is also very attractive, with its 
unbroken chain of peaks, conspicuous among which 
Mt. Etna rises majestically, showing no sign of ever 
having been a chimney for the fires beneath the rocky 
surface. After three days we enter the harbor of 
Alexandria, and reahze that Europe has been left 
far behind. The men who come out to meet the 
steamer are clad in blue and white flowing robes 
with fez or turbans, while their boats, rigged with 
sails so different from any seen in western waters, 
make a striking picture, whose background is form- 
ed of rather low, square buildings, with here and 
there a minaret lifting its slender head towards the 
bluest of skies. 

The impression that we are in the Orient is height- 
ened as soon as the dock is reached. There is a per- 
fect Babel of shouts, as each porter endeavors to se- 
cure patronage by insisting upon carrying our bags, 
and putting us into a carriage he has ordered. The 
ludicrousness of the scene appealed to us, as we 
watched an American, surrounded by about a dozen 
natives, all screaming and each desiring to be the 
fortunate carrier of his bags. This gentleman raised 
his hand, and with the most determined gesture, 
said: "Calm yourselves, calm yourselves!" Though 
not one word did they understand and, while he was 
thus entreating them, some of their number had put 
his baggage into a carriage. But one might about 
as well talk to the wild waves as to this backsheesh- 
thirsty crowd of Egyptians. 

A ride through the streets of Alexandria is full of 
interest, for we are seeing unusual sights. The 
women are clad in black, with faces entirely cov- 
ered, except the forehead on which is placed, in an 



144 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

upright position between the eyes a brass cylinder 
about one inch in diameter, and three inches in 
length, "to keep people from seeing both eyes at 
once," is the explanation given us by a native. 
These women stand very erect, and will carry on 
top of their heads a water-jar containing several 
gallons, which may be about all the head work they 
do, though it certainly looks as if it required some 
skill to balance the jar. Nearby is a man with a 
goat skin full of water which he is peddhng to the 
families living in the neighborhood, or to the pass- 
ers-by. The men sit on the sidewalks, with legs 
crossed beneath them, and smoke the long water 
pipes, which are rented to anyone desiring a whiff. 
The half naked children bask in the sun, and the 
dogs dart here and there, securing what they can 
from the filth of the streets — public scavengers as 
they are. 

We do not care to linger long in this seaport town 
and, after we have seen the 

"Pillar of Pompey! gazing o'er the sea. 
In solemn pride, and mournful majesty," 

and something of the city, we take a train for Cairo. 
Soon we are in the midst of green fields that stretch 
as far as the eye can see — veritable prairies, which, 
with their waving wheat, remind us of our own 
Western plains, except that they are dotted with 
palms, and the life of the people is entirely foreign. 
As the train hurries on to Cairo the scene is con- 
stantly changing. There are groups of persons at 
work in the fields, others watching sheep or cattle, 
as they graze upon some little patch of grass, for 
there are no fences in this land. Neither are there 
any highways, except the banks of the canals, and 
these present an animated appearance in the late 
afternoon as the fellaheen return from their work; 




^ ,#5 M i j 






n% 




RUSSIAN PILGRIMS JOURNEYING FROM TIBERIAS TO NAZARETH 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 145 

some leading their donkeys, which are completely 
laden with loads of millet or peas, so that only their 
feet and heads are visible; others with camels that 
have been ploughing alone, or perhaps yoked with 
a cow or an ox. A man will be riding his donkey, 
while his wife walks by his side. One of our party 
once asked our dragoman if the husband always rode 
while the wife went afoot, and he replied, very em- 
phatically, "Yees." The questioner then informed 
him that in America the reverse was true, whereupon 
he answered, "Yees, but in Egypt woman shamed to 
ride, great shame, if husband walk." 

As one gentleman remarked, "It is a continuous 
menagerie" till we reach our destination in Cairo 
and, in fact, this is the life in the country as it has 
existed since Joseph occupied these lands. 

Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and the largest town 
in Africa, boasts about half a million inhabitants, of 
whom 25,000 are Europeans. The native popula- 
tion is a mixture of Egyptians and others. The 
greater number are Moslems, but there are several 
millions of Coptic Christians. 

Since the middle of the last century Cairo has de- 
veloped rapidly, and this is largely due to the immi- 
gration of Europeans. The city has grown so much 
that persons, who knew it ten years ago, say that 
they would hardly recognize it now, with its crowd- 
ed streets, fine shops, tall white houses, huge hotels 
and expansion on all sides. Where were formerly 
almost waste places, are now busy streets; where 
were once native suburbs are now European quar- 
ters. A walk through the streets is full of interest. 
We pass the great hotels, their balconies and piaz- 
zas crowded with curious and amused tourists. 
Hawkers of all kinds are shouting, or coaxing possi- 
ble purchasers, offering post cards, ornamental fly- 
whisks, walking sticks, shawls, scarfs, fresh from 



146 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

the factory, and all kinds of "antikas." Fortune 
tellers would impose their services at very low 
prices. Carriages, foot-travelers, and donkeys 
crowd the streets. At the open-air cafes sit many 
Egyptians, smoking and chatting with their friends. 

We wander on, visiting mosques, where the na- 
tives remove their shoes before entering, and the 
foreigner must put his feet into felt slippers. Some 
of these structures are among the finest examples of 
Oriental architecture, though many of the older 
buildings have been allowed to fall into a sad state 
of ruin. Especially interesting is the mosque of El- 
Azhar, which was converted into a university more 
than 900 years ago, and to-day has about 8,000 stu- 
dents and three hundred teachers. The pupils sit 
cross-legged on the floor in groups around their in- 
structors, who occupy sort of chairs. The chief 
subjects studied are the Koran and its commentaries. 
There is a continual buzz, as they all study aloud, 
and recite in concert portions of the lessons which 
they are required to learn. 

At another mosque we see the Khedive and his 
suite, when they approach with outriders, and enter 
this sanctuary for weekly prayer. 

The museum of Egyptian antiquities, by far the 
most complete of its kind in the world, is housed in 
a fine, new structure near the Nile. The array in 
this building is almost overpowering; sarcophagi of 
all ages; — three, four and five thousand years; 
statues of stone, copper and wood. Among the 
oldest is a wooden figure, representing a foreman 
employed in the construction of the Great Pyramid 
— Sheik-el-Beled of the fourth dynasty, about 4080 
B. C, discovered at Sakarah. The eyes of this statue 
are made of quartz with black agate pupils and 
they look out from their copper sockets in a most 
realistic manner. Inscriptions and paintings, the 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 147 

oldest of the latter representing ducks, which were 
painted on stucco about 4450 B. C. Implements 
and utensils used by the Egyptians, both in this 
world and those found in the tombs for use of the 
dead. Among these a funeral sailing boat, placed 
in a tomb so that the dead man's spirit could be con- 
veyed across the sacred river of the other world. 




An Egyptian Funerary Sail-Boat. (B. C. 3050 — 2840) 
Cairo Museum 

The Arabian museum and Khedivial library can- 
not fail to interest the student of medieval history. 

In Old Cairo are the Coptic churches which are 
usually visited by tourists, though many of them are 
hidden away in unsuspected places, because their lo- 
cation is not indicated by tapering spire or Gothic 
tower. 

One never comes to Cairo without spending some 
time in the native bazaars situated in the Mousky — 
the oldest commercial street in Cairo and one that is 
narrow, crowded, picturesque and quite unlike any 
other thoroughfare in the city. People of all na- 
tionalities, clad in every kind of a garment, pass up 
and down. The various wares are exposed to the 
fullest possible view, and it is a notable exhibition. 
Devious paths lead in and out, past shops of every 
kind, — jewelers, shawl-sellers, amber merchants, 



148 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

brass and copper smiths, Indian and Persian ven- 
dors of every imaginable curio and ornament. Fine 
carpets, Oriental rugs, praying mats, swords, spears, 
Soudanese rhinoceros-hide riding whips, and many 
other articles are exhibited in great quantities. 
There are bazaars where only one kind of goods is 
seen, like the scent bazaars, the sword bazaars and 
the tent-makers' shops. Counters, covered with na- 
tive cloths, silk stuffs, tapestries and embroideries, 
are most attractive. 

These bazaars are the centers of Arab business, 
and give one the opportunity of seeing and studying 
Oriental types. We see here the rich merchant, 
clothed in silks, and the beggar covered with rags, 
the fellaheen and harem lady, also the noisy Arab 
costermongers trying to attract attention, and prais- 
ing aloud the quality of their goods. In short, it is 
here that one forms a correct idea of that Oriental 
life, so picturesque in some respects, and so distaste- 
ful, perhaps, in other ways, which tends little by 
little to disappear before the encroachment of Eu- 
ropean civilization. 

We cross the bridge over the Nile, and take an 
electric car for the Pyramids, going along a road 
which is the creation of Ismail Pasha, and is the 
finest highway in the country, extending for ten miles 
through the expanse of verdure. 

The long avenue has many cabs, carriages, motor 
cars, native carts, lines of camels and donkeys. Be- 
tween the eucalyptus trees, as the car flies along, one 
is suddenly aware of those great shapes : 

"Those works where man has rivalled Nature most. 
Those Pyramids, that fear no more decay 
Than waves inflict upon the rockiest coast, 
Or winds on mountain-steeps, and like endurance 
boast." 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 149 

Little black specks move to and fro at their base, 
people already wandering around, and gazing at 
these wonders, which rise so sharp, gray, red, and 
rigid above the desert sands. 

There stands the great Pyramid, all that imagina- 
tion, even in childhood years, had pictured it. This 
marvel, solemn and gloomy as a mountain, which 
men have gazed upon, and discussed for centuries. 

We walk through the sand, along the base of one 
side, then around the whole, and they tell us that we 
have gone over half a mile. We endeavor to gauge 
its vastness by trying to appreciate that the stones 
of which it is built, weigh ten, twenty, and forty 
tons apiece, and that there are enough of these to 
build a substantial wall around the British Isles; or, 
cut into blocks one foot square, and laid side by 
side, to extend two-thirds around the globe. 

"Soldiers," said Napoleon, when his army was 
drawn up on the plains of Gizeh, "soldiers, twenty 
centuries look down upon you." That may have 
been an incentive to valor on the eve of battle, but 
if he had trebled the years he would have been near- 
er the truth. 

The Pyramid of Cheops was ancient as buildings 
are called ancient, when "Abraham went down into 
Egypt to sojourn there," and yet to-day it stands 
well nigh unchanged. 

Not far away is the Sphinx, — a monument greater 
than the Pyramids by the difference between sculp- 
ture and masonry, art and engineering. 

It is said that a lady, after visiting Gizeh, returned 
to her hotel, and complained because she could find 
but one Sphinx. The lady was not only at fault in 
her archaeology, but her imagination must have been 
most vivid, because, after one has looked aright into 
the great stone face of the desert, and has seen how : 



I50 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

"They glare, — those stony eyes ! 
That in the fierce sun-rays 
Showered from these burning skies, 
Through untold centuries 
Have kept their sleepless and unwinking gaze." 

he must feel that only one such is possible. Just 
once has a piece of stone been transformed into such 
a masterpiece of the sculptor's art. Its lion body 
is ninety feet long; but is now buried in the sand, its 
face of such enormous proportions as to measure 
fourteen feet across. There is no definite authority 
for its date, — some considering it prehistoric, (per- 
haps six thousand years old) while others place it as 
late as 2500 B. C. But certainly no monument ever 
needed so Httle a certificate of birth; its very form 
and feature indicate a remote and undreamed of an- 
tiquity. 

The region around Cairo is full of historic im- 
portance, especially Memphis, the ancient capital of 
the country, which shows evidences of a former civ- 
ilization that equalled that of Luxor and Thebes. 
An immense statue of Rameses II. Kes in a good 
state of preservation upon the ground, in one of the 
groves. A ride of two miles brings us to the Thar 
and Ti tombs, where the bas-reliefs representing the 
industries of the people four thousand years ago, 
and the products of their soil are exceedingly fine. 
The Step Pyramid at Memphis is impressive, chiefly 
by reason of its age, and is not in as good state of 
preservation as are those at Gizeh. After eating 
our lunch at the Mariette House — which seems 
more like a barn than a hostelry — we continue our 
donkey ride across the desert to the Great Pyramid, 
reaching it in two hours. The wind blows cold from 
the northwest, but we are glad of the view of this 
waste of sand, and the experiences of such a trip. 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 151 

The Pyramids are far more Impressive when ap- 
proached from this southern side. They seem to 
increase in height each time that we see them. This 
trip is sometimes made on camels, but we have found 
out by experience that the motion of this "Ship of 
the Desert" is not conducive to comfort. 

We spend one morning at Hehopohs, which is 
about half an hour's ride by train northeast of 
Cairo. Two of the obelisks which stood here were 
removed to Alexandria by Tiberias, and were 
popularly called Cleopatra's Needles. In 1878, one 
of these was carried to London and placed on the 
Thames embankment. There still remains here one 
which does not seem to be greatly impaired by the 
ages. It is very old, and undoubtedly Moses and 
Joseph looked upon it many times, for it was here 
that the former "Derived his wisdom to instruct 
mankind," and from this place did the latter take 
for wife, the high-priest's daughter, Asenath. 

One Monday morning we go out to the Pyramids 
and get donkeys for a five mile ride, to the native 
village of Kadasseh. It is a fine day, and we see 
much of the life of the people. A large part of the 
way takes us across the sands of the desert, and in 
one place we see a Moslem who has dismounted 
from his camel, spread his rug, and engaged in 
prayer. We come to various oases where the fel- 
laheen are plowing with a buffalo cow attached to 
one end of a long beam, while at the other end is 
another pointed beam fastened onto the first oblique- 
ly, and this device constitutes the plow. In one place 
Is a wheel for raising water to irrigate a small field; 
finally we come to a beautiful grove of stately date 
palms, beyond which Is situated the village of mud 
houses. 

It is the day of the weekly fair and the natives are 
here with donkeys, goats, pigs, and chickens — all 



152 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

for sale, and some of the latter are being dressed 
right here on the spot. The peripatetic barber is 
shaving camels, donkeys, and men's heads. Women 
sit on the ground, offering wooden combs, long brass 
earrings, beads, and bits of cloth at a reasonable 
price, while their children run around clad only as 
nature made them. The whole scene is one decided- 
ly Oriental and typical of the life of the people. 




Buffalo Cows in the Nile 

We may be surprised and filled with astonishment 
at the wonders of the Cairo Museum, but it is only 
by visiting the monuments of Upper Egypt that we 
can obtain any really adequate idea of the degree of 
civihzation which the ancient Egyptians attained. It 
is here that we find not only the cradle of civiliza- 
tion, but the very swaddling clothes, and we realize 
this truth when we visit the southern part of the 
country. 

The natural highway thither is the Nile, majestic, 
silent, and mysterious as the far-away desert wastes 
through which it has passed. We cannot help look- 
ing upon it with awe, for it is the life of the country. 

"Giving life to all animals; 
Watering the land without ceasing; 
The way of heaven descending; 
Lover of food, bestower of corn, 
Giving light to every home, O Ptah!" 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 153 

You cannot dissociate the Nile from its thousands 
of years of history. It has nursed and reared a 
race of giants while other civilizations were still in 
infancy, or yet unborn. 

No longer is there ever any fear of a drouth, 
because after the fall floods have deposited their rich 
sediment on the face of the land, the gates of the 
great dam at Assouan are closed and 334 billion 
gallons of water are stored up for use during the 
spring when the river begins to be low. Then the 
cotton fields of the capitalist, the broad acres of the 
village sheik, and the fellah's little plot, all share 
in the bounty alike. This dam, a mile and a quarter 
long, 130 feet high above its foundation, with a 
width at its base of 98 feet and at the top of twenty- 
three feet, is the largest in the world, being one of 
the wonderful sights of Egypt. By means of this 
increase in the water supply 500,000 acres of desert 
have been converted into arable land. Twenty feet 
are to be added to the height and the additional sup- 
ply of water obtained thereby will afford irrigation 
for about one million more acres of arid waste. 

We go up on donkeys to the First Cataract of the 
Nile, above which the dam is built, and on this trip 
visit the old quarries where the huge obelisks were 
gotten; further on we pass a train of camels, loaded 
with merchandise and on their way to Khartoum. 
It is always interesting to see them pack camels, 
which will kneel to have the load put on their backs 
and when they have received all that they ought to 
carry, they will squeal. 

After seeing the Temple of Philae, which is al- 
most submerged by water since the building of the 
dam, we return by boat to Assouan, where we re- 
main several days, so bright and beautiful is Ele- 
phantine Island, and attractive are the waters of the 
Nile in this vicinity. 



154 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

At this season the fields present a busy scene, for 
the sugar cane is being harvested. In some places it 
is placed on the backs of camels and carried to the 
factories, where it is converted into sugar and mo- 
lasses. The green crops are millet, clover, peas and 
beans which are fed to the animals without being 
cured. The beans are eaten uncooked by the fel- 
laheen themselves. Fields, from which the crops 
have been removed, are being ploughed by the great 
buffalo cows, while near by oxen, or camels, may be, 
are pumping water onto the land for irrigation pur- 
poses. This is done by means of a pump (sakkieh) , 
which is the oldest kind in existence, and the Egyp- 
tians obtained the idea of it from the Hindoos. It 
consists of a huge, wooden wheel, which is placed 
horizontal, and fitted with cogs so as to turn another 
upright wheel carrying two ropes to which are tied 
large, earthen water jars, some of which are filled in 
the ditch or well below, at every revolution of the 
wheel. The water is also raised from the Nile by 
means of the shaduf — an old-fashioned well-sweep 
arrangement. A native, partly clad, will dip the 
bucket of goat skin and, drawing it up, empty it 
into a trench from which it is raised by another man, 
in the same manner, to a ditch a little higher up, 
and so on, till the level of the surrounding country 
is reached, and it flows away into the fields. The 
pole, which takes the place of a sweep, is weighted 
at one end with a huge lump of dried mud to help 
counterbalance the goat skin full of water. 

Along the banks of the Nile are temples and 
tombs, which are the wonder of the traveler of to- 
day. We marvel at the glory of Thebes. The tem- 
ples of Karnak and Luxor were planned by a master 
mind and executed with marvellous skill. The 
grandeur and unity of design, the beauty and detail 
cannot fail to excite our admiration. As we look 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 155 

upon columns seventy feet high and thirty-three in 
circumference, they convey such an impression of 
loftiness and strength as to make us believe that the 
architecture of Egypt has rightly been styled the 
"architecture of giants," The resemblance of the 
capitals to the sheaf of lotus stems, and the great 
bell flowers of the papyrus, having a lip seventy feet 
around, is not meaningless, for both flowers were 
loved by the Egyptians, and were used everywhere, 
and in a hundred ways by sculptor and artist on the 
walls of temples and tombs. 

Karnak is a field of ruins, two and one-half miles 
in circumference and resembles the wreckage pro- 
duced by an earthquake. Many of the gate-towers, 
columns, pillars, and figures lie in a confused pile, 
while others are upright, as if to show us how im- 
pressive they must have been. Nowhere is there 
a collection of such prodigious monuments scattered 
over an area so vast. We look upon the lofty obelisk, 
one hundred feet high, and wonder how it could 
have been brought from the quarry, 140 miles dis- 
tant, and erected here, when we remember that con- 
siderable trouble was experienced some years ago, 
in spite of all the aid afforded by modern devices, in 
conveying to New York an obelisk which stood at 
Alexandria. 

Among the debris of pillars, roof-slabs and tem- 
ple walls, are fragments of other obelisks. We 
wonder what will be the fate of the two remaining 
ones, and consider the remark of our dragoman as 
quite suggestive when he says "Two are gone, two 
are down, and two are waiting." 

As one rambles among the columns by moonlight 
there are new experiences of a deeper import; the 
light at that time softens the lines ; the great figures 
on the columns melt into an harmonious scheme of 
decoration, while the ample spaces and forms ac- 



156 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

quire a vagueness and loneliness which approaches 
the mysterious and is very alluring. As we look 
upon this pile we share the feehngs of Caesar when 
he said: 

"Too wonderful this vision to be real, — 
The work of necromancy, or a dream ! 
This grand confusion, these colossal forms, 
This wide extent of ruin; how could die 
Men who had life for this? They could not die; 
Fate fails to cast them to oblivion; — 
Here in their deeds they live; these silent walls, 
These graven monoliths, with meaning rife. 
These prostrate statues, and these columns stark, 
Speak from remotest time, to us who live." 

One day we continue our donkey ride about three 
miles beyond Karnak to a Coptic convent, now used 
as a church by that sect. The people of this faith 
call themselves christians, but it is detrimental to 
the progress of Christianity to have them thus desig- 
nated, because they do not always possess the attrib- 
utes of real christians. In fact, the reverse is the 
opinion of the Moslems in regard to them, as was 
shown when the baggage of a certain party was left 
unprotected on one occasion, and the members pro- 
tested, whereupon the dragoman assured them that 
it was safe, "because," as he said, "there isn't a 
christian within sixty miles." 

This old Coptic church is most interesting in its 
dark and gloomy interior. People come from a dis- 
tance to attend the services, and stay all night, sleep- 
ing on matting or straw which they throw on the 
ground in the church. In one corner we see a large 
dried mud receptacle, holding some twenty-five gal- 
lons. Our curiosity is at once aroused and we ask 
our guide the purpose of this large mud tub. With 
a look of surprise he replies, "Yees not know this ! 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 157 

why, they bring babies here, fill this with water, 
and put babies down in it, then take them out, and 
then they's christians." 

One of the keepers of this church invites us to his 
home, and we find it a typical home of the Egyptian 
fellaheen. These peasants live in groups of mud 
huts, which constitute a village, whose head man, or 
largest land owner, is styled a sheik. 

As we visit this peasant home it certainly seems 
as if their methods of housekeeping cannot have 
changed for the last 4,000 years. Mud and sun- 
dried bricks form the outside of the house, or pens, 
for that is about what they really are, as well as the 
partitions, and all the boxes, or rude receptacles for 
the different kinds of vegetables and wheat. The 
tops of these latter have sides built around them, so 
that the children can be put up there in the summer 
to keep them from the scorpions. There is the small 
stone trough, in which a woman is crushing corn into 
a meal-like paste with a stone, and then this is mixed 
with water and formed into cakes, which are placed 
on sun-baked mud discs or plates, and laid out on 
the warm ground to rise a little before being baked 
in the primitive oven. This Egyptian stove is a hol- 
low, dome-shaped affair of sun-dried mud, with a 
door in one side. A fire is built inside on the ground, 
and when the walls are heated, the thin, round cakes 
of bread are slapped against the sides, where they 
stick until they are baked and taken out. 

In the summer sugar-cane stalks are laid across 
the tops of the sides of the house, as a protection 
against the heat, though some of the rooms have a 
kind of a roof, on which the people sleep in the 
warmest weather, but at other times they lie on the 
ground, or in some small covered room that has no 
window. Our presence arouses a good deal of in- 
terest, and evidently we are as much objects of curi- 



158 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



osity to these sons of the desert as they are to us.. 
When we photograph one interior, a Httle fellow,, 
whom we have tried to get within range of the: 
camera, runs crying to his mother, so afraid is he oi: 
us in our strange clothes. 

On a bright morning, the twenty-second of Febru- 
ary, we go scampering over the plains on our don- 
keys to the temples and tombs on the western bank. 

Various Arabs beseech us to buy their scarabs and 
beads; little children, scarcely able to talk, extend 
their tiny, dirty palms and lisp "baksheesh." 




Only a Slight Exaggeration 

One small boy of twelve years, speaking excellent: 
English, and too well dressed, in our opinion, to be; 
a vendor, tells us how he learned our language,, 
when we ask, "And what do you do?" To our as- 
tonishment, he replies, "I am a salesman of antiques 
and have been in the business seven years." 

Thinking perhaps he may be an errand boy in 
some shop, we continue our inquiries, by saying, 
"Where are your goods?" Again we are surprised 
when he replies, "Here in my dress," and to prove 
the correctness of his statement, he draws out from 
hidden depths handfuls of beads and ornaments, 
which, he affirms, came out of the tombs. Thus it 



CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION 159 

is that young and old try to make something out of 
the tourist. A friend of ours asked her dragoman 
what they did in the summer when there were no 
travelers here. "We all get married then," was the 
significant reply. 

A ride of two hours brings us to Thebes, before 
whose gates stood the Colossi of Memnon, those 
giant statues, which above all others, the Sphinx 
alone excepted, most impress men with their im- 
mense proportions, dignity and awesomeness. This 
was really the gateway proper, where now we see 
only ruins. 

Beyond a dreary waste at the end of a valley ot 
sand and stones, in the midst of lofty peaks, the 
tombs of the kings are situated. Here, deep in the 
mountain sides, they tunnelled, that they might se- 
cure abodes for their royal dead which would re- 
main forever unmolested. They were not graves to 
cover lifeless mummies, but dwellings for those who, 
being dead, yet lived. Therefore they lavished upon 
those rock-hewn sepulchres all the care and splendor 
possible through the force of human labor. Cor- 
ridor succeeds corridor; walls and pillars, from the 
entrance of the tomb to its mummy chamber, are 
carved and painted, while tens of thousands of 
scenes from the domestic life of the people and vari- 
ous hieroglyphics arc sculptured in delicate bas-re- 
lief and richly colored. When at last the king was 
laid in his tomb, the door was sealed; rocks and 
debris hid the entrance, and it was the pious belief 
that the shifting sands of the desert would conceal 
his place of rest forevermore. But the centuries 
have proved the futility of this hope, for, in this 
valley of death forty-seven tombs have already been 
discovered, and the mummy of the great Rameses 
himself is exposed to the idle gaze of thousands in 
the Cairo museum. 



i6o OUR YEAR ABROAD 

We wend our way back by another route, over 
the high hills on the Libyan desert, and across the 
fertile plains to the bank of the Nile, where boat- 
men await our coming, and soon convey us across 
the river. 

After the pleasure of the day, we sit on the banks 
of this stream, which the inhabitants 3,000 years 
ago, believed came out of Paradise. Suddenly the 
meuzzin's call is heard from a minaret in the city. 
We turn and see behind us a workman standing un- 
der a date palm tree in the garden of our hotel. His 
ear has caught the sound and he kneels, 

"His forehead turned towards Mecca's shrine. 
And all the world forgotten in one thought divine." 

The sun is setting behind the distant mountains, 
and suddenly seems to drop from our view, but it 
leaves behind it a sea of liquid fire, while the high 
heavens reflect the glory thereof, a memorable scene 
and a fitting climax to the day's enjoyment. The 
shadows lengthen, the outlines of the distant tem- 
ples become more indistinct, till finally they are lost 
to view, yet the strangeness of it all remains. But 
as we contemplate, and are lost in amazement that 
such prodigious monuments could have been built 
when the nation was so young, the ever-recurring 
thought of self-aggrandizement and power become 
more dominant, and we feel that a whole nation 
must have been set to these tasks, a whole nation 
must have labored, yea, suffered in obeying the com- 
mands of a few men, who thought only of their own 
greatness and glory, and built earthward, rather 
than heavenward. 



CHAPTER XVI 

Jerusalem, the Holy City 

WITH bright skies and everything pro- 
pitious, we say good-bye to Cairo and a 
country where we have spent very 
many enjoyable days. Soon we pass 
through the land of Goshen, with its fertile plains, 
which must have been a delight to Jacob's family, 
after they had crossed the arid wastes to the north. 
When we reach Ismailia we come in sight of the 
Suez Canal, whose banks are followed for a distance 
of fifty miles to Port Said — a town which owes its 
prosperity to the existence of the canal. Here we 
embark on an Austrian steamer for Jaffa. Just an 
overnight trip brings us within sight of the shores 
of Palestine. As the early morning light tinges the 
distant mountains, we drop anchor outside the city 
which has been rendered famous by many Biblical 
incidents. 

When it is rough, the passengers cannot go ashore 
because the landing place is surrounded by a barrier 
of rocks, and the surf makes the narrow opening 
impossible for the small boats, consequently they are 
obliged to continue on the steamer to Haifa or Bey- 
rout, and get off there, or return with the same ves- 
sel to Jaffa, in the hopes that the sea has subsided. 
We knew of one man, this spring, who went up and 
down three times before he could effect a landing. 

We are most fortunate in having smooth waters, 
and are soon on the wharf, where everything indi- 
cates that we are in the Orient. The dress of the 
people, their manner of living, the methods of work, 

i6i 



1 62 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

and, in fact, nearly everything, must be about as it 
was when Peter visited the city, and abode in the 
house of Simon, a tanner. 

We are told that Jonah embarked here on his 
eventful voyage, and are shown the tomb of Dorcas. 
From the tower of the Russian church we obtain a 
very extended view. To the south is Philistia, on 
the east the Judean hills, and in the north Mt. Car- 
mel, while around us is the plain of Sharon, with its. 
hundreds of acres of orange groves, whose golden 
fruit is now being gathered. We visit one grove, 
and pick oranges weighing nearly a pound apiece. 

As we journey up to Jerusalem, we pass places 
rendered famous by Samson, Peter and others, and 
soon reach the mountains, among which our train 
climbs very slowly. This was the first railroad built 
in Palestine, and for many years the land could not 
be secured because a certain part of it was held by 
a sheik, who would not sell it. This road was com- 
pleted in 1892, but has not been a paying invest- 
ment, for freight could be carried to Jerusalem on 
the backs of camels more cheaply than by rail. 
When the first train ran into the "City on the Hills," 
it was a matter of curiosity to the people for miles 
around. A Bedouin, who saw it, reported to his 
friends that "the engine was like a great big iron 
woman, who gave one screech and ran away." At 
first the Arabs would try to race on horseback across 
the plains with the engine, and when the latter out- 
stripped them, they were well nigh overcome with 
wonder and admiration, and exclaimed, "Great is 
Allah!" 

One should enter the Holy City for the first time 
by carriage, in order that he may have an oppor- 
timity to survey it, and the neighboring points of in- 
terest, thereby getting the relative positions well 
fixed in his mind, also that he may gaze upon it in 



JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY 163 

quiet, and not with the Babel of porters, cabmen 
and donkey boys that meet him at the railway sta- 
tion. If he does this he will agree with the Psalmist 
and say, — 

"How beautiful is Zion!" 

Directly in front of us runs the road down 
through the Valley of Hinnom and up to the Jaffa 
Gate. On the east side the Mount of Olives rises 
conspicuously, while just below, on the north, is 
Calvary; further around to the north and west are 
the English, Jewish, and German colonies, each with 
its church, hospice and hospital. Quiet, unlmposing, 
and yet intensely Interesting appears this city, which 
the followers of three great religions revere as most 
sacred. Wherever the Jew may be, hither turn his 
thoughts at morning and evening. The Christian 
reveres this city as the place of the crucifixion and 
resurrection of his Saviour, while In the eyes of a 
Moslem It ranks next to Mecca and Medina. 

We descend the slope through the Valley of Hin- 
nom, and go up the hill past David's Tower and the 
Jaffa Gate to the hotel. From our window we look 
out over the flat-roofed houses and the olive groves, 
to a hill, beyond which Is Bethlehem, five miles away. 

Most of the streets of the Holy City are hardly 
more than alleys, and are often a series of steps, but 
wide enough to permit a donkey to go up and down 
with ease. We are surprised to find the streets so 
clean, freer from filth than we had been told they 
were. The stalls, with their abundance of oranges, 
raisins, figs, and vegetables, look far more Inviting 
than do the same places in the worst parts of Cairo. 
Until within a few years the city was not lighted, 
and the pedestrian was required to carry a lantern 
after sundown, but now an occasional oil lamp sheds 
a faint glimmer in some of the passages. 



1 64 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

There is no telephone or fire department in this 
city of 135,000 inhabitants, so one can judge how 
far behind the times it is in general municipal regu- 
lations. The Turkish government is most derelict, 
and not to be trusted in many respects. For in- 
stance, the local authorities did not furnish satis- 
factory postal arrangements, so foreign nations de- 
manded that they should have their own post-offices, 
stamps, etc. In the corridor of our hotel there are 
Austrian and German letter boxes, while outside the 




Tower of David — Crusader's Cross 

door is one belonging to the French. Nearly every 
kind of money is current here. We buy German 
stamps and pay for them in Enghsh and Turkish 
coin, and they give us French francs in change. Re- 
cently we purchased an article costing twenty-five 
cents, giving the dealer a two shilling piece in pay- 
ment, and receiving as change a franc, a metallick, 
(a Turkish coin worth one and a quarter cents) 
and some article in his shop, as an equivalent for the 
remainder due. 

The two places within the walls of Jerusalem 
most frequently visited are the Church of the Holy 
Sepulcher and the Mosque of Omar. We reach the 
first, through David and Christian streets, and, when 
we stand before it, we realize that, for the last fif- 



JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY 165 

teen hundred years, it has been regarded as the 
most sacred spot in the world. Whether it is the 
correct place or not, we know it is the church for 
which the crusades were fought, and in defence of 
which men have died, believing it was here that the 
Messiah gave up His hfe on the cross for the chil- 
dren of men. The outside is devoid of tawdry or- 
namentation, but within there is no spot in any way 
connected with the life and death of Christ, but what 
has an altar, or a canopy, or a dome. And many of 
them are so palpably erroneous and improbable that 
it is really painful to look upon some of these thirty- 
seven places, which various Christian sects revere 
as most sacred. While most of the decoration seems 
cheap and unattractive, nevertheless some of it is 
quite expensive, — like the solid gold chandelier in 
the chapel of the Greek church, which was presented 
by the Czar of Russia. It is this sect which occupies 
by far the greater part of the church, the Latins 
come next, and then the Armenians, Abyssinians, 
and Copts, the last being allowed a tiny chapel or 
room not more than twelve feet square. 

On the day before Palm Sunday all these different 
sects hold services in this sanctuary at the same time. 
In the Greek church we see their patriarch, and in 
the Roman Catholic procession is a cardinal of that 
church, while outside the entrance some 300 soldiers 
are stationed to prevent any disorder which might 
arise among the Christian worshippers and pilgrims. 
The latter are here In great numbers, especially from 
Russia, thousands coming to attend the services of 
the Greek Easter and bathe in the Jordan. One 
meets these people on the streets and country roads, 
in fact, they are everyT\'here in evidence. They look 
like the typical Russian peasant, with cowhide boots 
or sandals,_ heavy coats, perhaps of sheepskin, thick 
caps, walking sticks, and little bags or bundles, to 



l66 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

which are tied the tea kettle and cups, slung over 
their shoulders. They have brought only black 
bread and tea, and will sleep in a hospice, or per- 
haps on the ground, or anywhere that they can find 
a rest for their heads. After the great Easter fes- 
tival is over they will return to their homes, refresh- 
ed, glad and satisfied for the rest of their lives. 
This is what a pilgrimage to Jerusalem means to the 
devout, ignorant peasant of to-day, and this is what 
it has meant to his ancestors for many generations. 

Frequent and bloody conflicts have occurred in: 
this very church; within a century three hundred 
Christians fell at the Easter celebration. Every year- 
tumults arise, often amounting to bloodshed. And 
this is the picture offered to the world to-day, in its 
holiest sanctuary, by a religion proclaiming "peace 
on earth and good will toward men." 

Not far away is the area on which stood Solo- 
mon's temple, which was, in time, superseded by 
that of Herod, and on that site was built the present 
Mosque of Omar, the most beautiful and, histori- 
cally, the most interesting building in Palestine. 

Solomon's temple was constructed in looo B. C.^ 
with stones from the large quarry which underlies a. 
portion of the city. It was the workmen there em- 
ployed who formed an organization, which, it is 
claimed, was the origin of the Knights Templar and 
Masons. At any rate, visiting members from these 
bodies now hold meetings in the dark recesses, or 
caverns, of these old quarries. 

The present mosque was erected in 700, and the 
inlaid worjc of the exterior at once impresses one, 
while the interior is most harmonious, with its 
stained glass windows, graceful pillars. Oriental car- 
pets, gold ornamentation and delicate screen work. 
The great rock, directly under the dome, appeals to 
us by its size and simplicity. They relate many 



JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY 167 

stories and traditions in regard to it. Abraham Is 
said to have prepared to offer up Isaac there. It 
may have been the threshing floor of Araunah, the 
Jebusite — for which purpose it is admirably adap- 
ted. The great altar for burnt offerings in Solo- 
mon's temple may have stood here. The Moslems 
have a tradition that Mohammed started on his visit 
to heaven from the top of this rock, which began to 
follow him, but the angel Gabriel put out his hand 
and stopped it. They point out the impression of 
his fingers. Under the rock is a place which is re- 
garded by the Moslems as very sacred, and, in fact, 
it is only within a few years that Christians have 
been allowed to visit the mosque at all. Recently 
two American women were going down the steps to 
this place, when a Moslem fanatic, who had just re- 
turned from Mecca and had concealed himself 
there, fired five shots at them, and two took effect, 
one woman being hit in the leg, and the other in the 
eye, but both were so seriously injured they had to 
be taken to the hospital. 

Underneath the area, on the south of the 
mosque, are Solomon's stables, and just outside, 
down the hill, is the Pool of Siloam. At the north- 
west corner rises the tower of Antonia, and outside 
the area, in the Ecce Homo church, we see a por- 
tion of the old arch that belonged to Pilate's Judg- 
ment Hall. Near this church is a piece of the pave- 
ment of the court of the Praetorium, showing Inden- 
tations made in the stones to keep the horses from 
slipping. At this point begins the Via Dolorosa, 
leading to the Sepulchre church. The Pool of 
Bethesda is not far away, but the original city here 
was probably 100 feet, at least, lower than It is at 
present. 

On Palm Sunday we go down over the brook Ke- 
dron, which flows through the Valley of Jehosaphat, 



i68 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

and up into Gethsemane, where gnarled old olive 
trees with gigantic trunks stretch out their branches 
as if in benediction over the sacred soil where our 
Saviour 

"Gave his sorrows way, and in the deep 
Prostration of his soul, breathed out the prayer, 
'Father, if it be possible with thee, 
Let this cup pass from me.' 
And then with renewed submission, added, 
'Not my will, but thine be done, O Father!' " 

This sacred spot looks very different from what it 
did twenty centuries ago, but one can easily imagine 
that it may have been the real garden where the be- 
trayal occurred. 

Going up the hill we stand on the brow of Mount 
Olivet, where Christ undoubtedly first caught sight 
of the holy city and wept, on his last journey from 
Bethany to Jerusalem. We can imagine the people 
of Bethany, as well as those who have come out of 
the city to meet Him, waving their palm branches 
and shouting hallelujahs. Directly below us we trace 
the walls of the sacred city, within which the dome 
of the Mosque of Omar, the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre, Mt. Zion with its two Jewish synagogues, 
and the Tower of Antonia are easily seen. There 
are seven of the old gates and a new one has re- 
cently been opened. 

A little to the north is the hill which is known as 
the Place of the Skull, and in a garden near by is the 
tomb that General Gordon believed was the one in 
which the body of Christ was placed. This eventful 
spot was probably outside the walls of the city, and 
this location seems to accord in every way with the 
Biblical account. In its isolation, quietude and sur- 
roundings, this spot appeals to us as the "green hill 
far away." 



JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY 169 

Within the Russian church the nuns are singing 
their evening hymn of praise, — a sweet melody, 
well befitting this sacred spot. But we must take 
one last look and say: — 

"Farewell! on Olivet's famed mount we stand, 
And view once more this sad but glorious land; 
The sun with purple paints the western hills. 
And earth and heaven a holy quiet fills; 
Calm in her desolation Salem sleeps, 
Round Omar's mosque the tall green cypress waves; 

"Soft gleam the rays on church and convent-spire, 
And each slight minaret is dipped with fire : 
Peace, like an angel, midst the coming gloom 
O'er Calvary hangs, and wraps Messiah's tomb. 
A spell on that dim city seems to lie, 
And hush the hills around and crimson sky; 
And as we muse and think of vanished years. 
The eye still gazes on and fills with tears." 

One day we go down to Jericho, and we do not 
fall among thieves, because the government pays a 
certain amount yearly to the hostile tribes to keep 
them from molesting people, though we do meet 
Bedouins, armed with guns, knives and long strings 
of cartridges thrown over their shoulders. They 
certainly do have a fierce appearance, but it is sel- 
dom that they trouble any foreigners. The road to 
Jericho was built ten years ago, before the German 
emperor visited Jerusalem. It is very hilly and 
passes through a region devoid of trees, and quite 
barren for the most part. 

We lunch at the Inn of the Good Samaritan, the 
only house on the entire road, a distance of seven- 
teen miles. At one place we get out of the carriage 
to look down into the deep gorge, through which 



lyo OUR YEAR ABROAD 

runs the brook Cherith, and a cave on its north bank 
is pointed out as the place where Ehjah was fed by 
the ravens. 

Modern Jericho boasts of three inns, a few 
houses, and a Bedouin camp. We look in vain for 
some vestige of ancient Jericho, and exclaim, — 

"Where are thy walls, proud Jericho? 
Thy towers have left no stone ; not e'en a palm 
Waves on thy site amidst the burning calm." 

Excavations of this city are being made and 
some interesting things have been brought to 
light. A drive of five miles takes us to the 
Dead Sea, which is a shimmering sheet of 
water, with the mountains of Moab on the east, 
from whose ridge rise Nebo and Pisgah. The waters 
of the Jordan are often disappointing, because they 
are so muddy, but the banks, in places, are lined 
with trees, while the rocks occasionally rise in sheer 
precipices. The Russian pilgrims bathe here during 
Easter week, wearing into the water long white 
robes, which, later, serve as their shrouds. For these 
people, it is the most solemn and sacred ceremony 
of their lives. 

Bethlehem is a very attractive place, and the town 
indicates a degree of prosperity not seen elsewhere 
in this locality. The streets are cleaner, the people 
better dressed, and there is less demand for bak- 
sheesh than in any other place in Palestine that we 
visited. 

Like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the 
Church of the Nativity is rather disappointing on 
account of the many sects who are striving for the 
possession of this sacred spot. While some writers 
discredit the authenticity of this spot as that of our 
Saviour's birth, yet we believe it was near here, if 
not this very place. The limestone rocks in this 



JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY 171 

part of Palestine have rendered the formation of 
caves most easy, and we see them in many locahties, 
where they are still used for sheltering sheep and 
other animals. Therefore, we can readily under- 
stand how, when "there was no room for them in 
the inn," they sought shelter in one of these stables 
or caves. We believe that it was to the shepherds 
of this region that the "glad tidings of great joy" 
were first proclaimed and that it was these men who 
found "the babe lying in a manger." And that it 
was above these Bethlehem hills where the heavenly 
host were heard, "praising God, and saying. Glory 
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will 
toward men." 

We are anxious to go to Hebron, twenty-two 
miles from Jerusalem, but we are advised against it, 
because the people are so ill-tempered, yet we decide 
to try it. Our dragoman has engaged a guard to 
meet us on the outskirts of the town. Our journey 
thither is most interesting. We pass Solomon's 
Pools, from which water to-day is taken in pipes to 
Jerusalem, and then our road winds upwards among 
the hills, where probably David watched his flocks. 
The high hills are thickly covered with rocks, but 
the lowlands are cultivated, and are already green 
with the oncoming crops of grain and cereals. Snow 
still lingers in high, sheltered places, producing a 
little chill in the air as we ascend. 

The many varieties of flowers seen here and, in 
fact, everywhere in Palestine, are a constant source 
of delight. Poppies, ranunculi, red anemones, cycla- 
men, daisies, white and yellow, forget-me-nots, 
clover — red, yellow and white— and many kinds un- 
known to us, are found every day. At one place on 
this trip to Hebron, we pick twelve varieties of flow- 
ers. 

After wg reach the Plain of Mamre, and have 



172 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



had our lunch under Abraham's Oak, we go into the 
city, which claims to be the oldest in the world, and 
if filth and general demoralization are any signs of 
antiquity, its claim is justified. Its smells date back 
to the time of Ephron, the Hittite, though some of 
them have recently been restored. The narrow, 
dark, overarched passages, or alleys, are most un- 
attractive, and one wonders how people can live in 
such a locality. In damp cellars we see them spin- 
ning and weaving sackcloth, just as they did 2,000 
years ago. 




Two Women Shall be Grinding at the Mill 

The cave of Machpelah is the chief object of in- 
terest here, because Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Re- 
bekah and Jacob were buried within its recesses. 
No one has entered these tombs for 800 years, and 
seldom does a Christian find his way above the sev- 
enth step of the staircase which leads up into the 
mosque over the cave. If the adventurous person 
should dare cross the eighth step, he would be at- 
tacked by the crowd of Moslem boys, who follow 
the visitors from place to place, shouting and jeer- 
ing, and sometimes throwing stones. It is long 
after dark before we reach Jerusalem on our return, 
after a day's ride of forty-four miles, but we feel 
glad that we took this trip. 



JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY 173 

Most of the places, said to be intimately con- 
nected with Biblical scenes, are interesting to visit, 
though one may be somewhat incredulous in regard 
to the exact location. But it is the country, the hills 
and vales of Judea, that are the most satisfactory — 

"Those holy fields 
Over whose acres walked those blessed feet," 

for here we feel that we are seeing scenes such as 
Christ saw and, perchance, are following in His 
very footsteps. 

Eleven days have we spent in and around the 
Holy City, and they have been days full of intense 
interest, whose memories can never be effaced. 

On the morrow we leave by carriages to make our 
trip to the North. 



CHAPTER XVII 
On Syrian Slopes 

AT last we have left Jerusalem and, from 
the high hills of the Scopus range, have 
taken a long, last look at the Holy City. 
Previously we have viewed it from all 
sides; having been above it on the Mount of Olives, 
and under it in Solomon's quarries. We may never 
see it again, but we can never forget it. Our car- 
riage drive on this, the first day north of Jerusalem, 
is one of forty-four miles, but the road is good, and 
we enjoy the sight of the hills and places mentioned 
In the scriptures. 

Especially interesting is Shiloh which has fallen 
into a position of simply a sacred and revered vil- 
lage, situated on a hill at the head of a valley, be- 
hind which rise mountains, hundreds of feet high, 
as majestic and grand as when they stood like 
mighty sentinels guarding this, the ancient, national 
sanctuary, for on this site the ark of the covenant 
rested three husdred years. 

Late in the afternoon we skirt the slopes of Mt. 
Gerizim and come to the plain of Sychar, where 
the patriarch Jacob purchased a "parcel of ground" 
and dug a well. We visit this spot with the feeling 
that it is one of the few authentic places. It was 
here that Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman 
who had come out of the small village, on yonder 
slope of the hill, to draw water. We spend Sunday 
in this old town of Shechem, going to the little Eng- 
lish church, where the holy communion is adminis- 
tered to a few native Christians. 

174 



ON SYRIAN SLOPES 175 

After the services we visit the hospital and find 
that here, as in many other places where we have 
seen similar institutions, it is through the medical 
work that the people are the most easily reached. 
Later in the day we ascend Mt. Gerizim on don- 
keys, a very difficult chmb, but one that repays, for 
here is the place where the small remnant of Samari- 
tans, about 170 in number, come annually and offer 
a sacrifice of seven sheep and then go up to the very 
summit, where there is a stone temple, in which they 
hold services. 

Later we go to their church building in the city, 
and find it to be almost a cellar, but they bring out 
their Penteteuch in the form of a roll and explain 
the case in which it is held, claiming that the whole 
is 3,000 years old. The quarters in which these 
people live are most undesirable and are only reach- 
ed through dark and cavernous passages. 

Shechem is a bad place and, though we have a 
guard, yet our dragoman has felt anxious in regard 
to our safety, because last year his party was so in- 
sulted here that one member of it began to use his 
pistol. The Moslem hatred toward the Christian 
in this place is verv strong. 

^ Our route from this old town continues with car- 
riages across the plain of Sharon and up the coast to 
Mt. Carmel, which we reach at the end of the sec- 
ond day, but it seems like a week, so full of experi- 
ences has it been. 

In this journey we cross twenty-six fords and the 
streams are so swollen that in one place the water 
has covered the roadway to a depth of three or 
four feet, so that it is impossible to see it, though 
the drivers wade in up to their waists. Finally our 
driver decides to try it, after natives have appeared 
on the opposite bank, and assured him that we can 
cross in safety. When we are In mid-stream two of 



176 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

the wheels slip off the edge of the roadway, and it 
seems as if our carriage would certainly go over, 
but our fears are needless, for soon we reach the 
shore. Nevertheless our friends in the next car- 
riage do not fare so well. Two of their horses 
flounder and fall, while it requires two men to hold 
the carriage wheels so that the vehicle will not cap- 
size. And during these anxious moments, this gen- 
tleman and his wife, who have come abroad to re- 
cuperate their nerves, are wondering how soon they 
will be pitched into the waters which are swirling 
around them, and filling the body of the wagon. 
But finally they get the horses up and all reach the 
banks without any serious wetting. We learn later 
that a carriage which had preceded us by about an 
hour, was overturned and one of the occupants 
afterwards told us that he was wet up to his neck. 
The natives received about six francs for helping 
rescue them and their baggage, and these same 
Arabs had told our driver that it was perfectly safe 
to cross, in the hopes that we would meet the same 
fate, and they would have an opportunity to help 
get us and our belongings out of the water, for 
which they would receive some remuneration. Such 
is the native sense of uprightness and honor. We 
felt that we had had a narrow escape when two days 
later we heard that a large party of about thirty 
persons, going over the same road, got stuck in the 
mud and were obliged to spend the night in their 
carriages, not being able to leave the next day till 
sixteen mules were sent to their assistance. 

The following day we eat our lunch at Athlit, 
where can be seen the fine ruins of the old castle, 
which was the last stronghold of the Crusaders in 
this country. After that we drive on the sands of 
the seashore for five miles, a most delightful ride, 
till we come to Haifa, where we spend the night and 



ON SYRIAN SLOPES 177 

visit Mt. Carmel. Thence we continue our journey 
over the mountains and along the seemingly unim- 
portant river Kishon which once became so swollen 
that it utterly swept away the Canaanite host. To- 
day our lunch is spread in a beautiful oak grove in 
the midst of a veritable flower garden, so abundant 
are the poppies, lilies of the field, blood drops, 
daisies, cyclamens and many other blossoms un- 
known in our botanical nomenclature. 

Soon we descend on the eastern side of the moun- 
tain and get our first oudook over the extensive plain 
of Esdraelon, which is probably the most historical 
plain in the world. Certainly none has witnessed 
more religious and political contests. 

From the time when Saul's last battle was fought 
with the Philistines on the mountains of Gilboa in 
front of us, till Napoleon's forces encountered the 
Turks on this plain, no place in the world has had a 
more ancient, or more heroic record of war. The 
Carmel range extends across the west and on its 
southern extremity is situated the Latin monastery 
which marks the supposed site of Elijah's sacrifice. 
On the south are the hills of Samaria and the moun- 
tains of Gilboa. On the east rise the mountains of 
Moab, while on the north are the Galilean hills with 
the houses of Nazareth perched high upon their 
sides. 

There is probably no doubt of the identity of the 
village where our Lord passed His boyhood and 
youth, but the holy places here, as in Jerusalem, are 
so taudrily embellished that one feels a keen disap- 
pointment. 

Mary's Well, in the part of the city near the old 
town of Nazareth, presents about the same scene at 
this day as It did when the Virgin Mary, in common 
with other girls of the village, came morning and 
evening to get the family supply. Undoubtedly she 



178 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

carried the water in a tall earthern jar on her head, 
just as we see the women and girls doing to-day, 
poising it gracefully and moving off in single file to 
their respective homes. 

It seems a little incongruous to see a woman come 
to the fountain with a large Standard oil can nicely 
poised on her head instead of a water jar. Such is 
the effect of the introduction of western commodi- 
ties. 

Some Biblical scholars think that the old syna- 
gogue here is the one where Jesus was an attendant 
when a child. 

The next day our party of seven start on horse- 
back for a trip across the plain of Esdraelon to 
Jezreel, where we take lunch, and then turn our 
horses' heads toward Shunem and Nain, afterwards 
crossing the plain to the foot of Mt. Tabor, which 
we reach after sundown. 

As the darkness thickens, the ascent of the moun- 
tain is rendered difficult and somewhat dangerous, 
inasmuch as we follow, a part of the time, a very 
narrow footpath leading up over precipitous rocks 
and slippery places. 

When we are about a third of the way up, our 
guide turns and shouts to us in a frightened tone : 
"Bedouiny, Bedouiny!" As we are ahead we are 
somewhat alarmed, so we stop and call to our drag- 
oman, who comes up and says, "he is frightening 
you," though the next morning he acknowledged 
that he was quite anxious for our safety, as he knew 
there were Bedouins in the vicinity. After an hour 
and a half we reach the summit, only one person in 
the party having had the courage to stay on a horse 
during the ascent, and that was a lady. 

It has been a long day's ride of twenty-eight miles, 
and we have been in the saddle eleven hours, there- 
fore we are tired and appreciate the welcome ac- 



ON SYRIAN SLOPES 179 

corded us by the monks. The monastery affords 
every comfort desirable in the line of food and shel- 
ter. So we spend a very restful night and the next 
morning are in a fit frame of mind to enjoy the 
wondrous views. 

Solemn and soul-stirring emotions come with 
glimpses of the Holy Land from this height. We 
do not blame the early Christian fathers for placing 
the scene of the transfiguration on this marvelous 
site which must have been a well known landmark 
throughout the history of the land. 

Looking north we see the snowy mass of Mt. 
Hermon, 9,000 feet high, and recall the words of 
the psalmist, when he says, "Tabor and Hermon 
shall rejoice in thy name." At the foot of that peak 
we distinguish the hill of Dan, and, as we turn to 
the southward, we feel that Beersheba ought to be 
in sight. On the east we catch our first glimpse of 
the Sea of Galilee, and near by rise the Horns of 
Hattin, a hill from which it is claimed Christ pro- 
nounced the "Beatitudes." The city of Wuz crowns 
the summit of Gilboa, and it is this spot that is 
pointed out as the place which Christ had in mind 
when he said in the sermon on the Mount, "A city 
set on a hill cannot be hid." Below is Gideon's 
Fountain, and our dragoman tells us that the people 
of that neighborhood, at the present time, drink 
from their hands, when getting water from this 
spring. The immense plain of Esdraelon is spread 
out at our feet like a varied-hued carpet of green 
velvet. 

As we look, we see a tiny line of smoke which 
marks the progress of the railway train as it crosses 
this plain, en route to Damascus from the sea coast. 
Very incongruous and out of place does it appearr 
on this renowned plain, which. In the ages past, 
never knew a faster vehicle than Ahab's chariot that 



i8o OUR YEAR ABROAD 

sped over nearly the same route in the wild race 
with the approaching storm when this famous king 
hastened from Mt. Carmel to his palace in Jezreel. 

The next morning the most of us walk down the 
mountain, and at the base take our horses for a ride 
of nine miles over rough hills, and through narrow 
defiles back to Nazareth. 

In the afternoon we have the good fortune to see 
a wedding procession in which the bride is riding 
on a donkey through the streets, accompanied by 
men and women who sing and play on rude musical 
instruments. She is being taken to the home of the 
groom where a great feast is to be held in the even- 
ing. 

Last night a party of Bedouins came to our hotel 
in Nazareth to steal horses, but withdrew after a 
sharp fusilade in which one of their number was 
badly wounded. On our ride to Tiberias we meet 
500 Russian pilgrims going to Jerusalem; an occa- 
sional one rides in a palanquin, which is a sort of a 
box or carriage top with shafts in front and in the 
rear to which mules are attached, and by this means 
it is borne along; a few of the very oldest are 
mounted on donkeys; but the most of them look 
tired and worn as they trudge along with staff and 
bundle and tea-kettle. They will halt beside some 
pool, make tea, eat a few morsels, and then continue 
their journey. 

We make a brief stop at Cana, where there are 
two churches, each said to mark the site of the house 
of Nathaniel, in which the wedding feast was held 
when the water was turned into wine. 

After four hours of further riding, over a very 
rough road, we begin to feel somewhat tired and 
weary, when suddenly: 

"In beauty and in light we see 
The hills and vales of far-famed Galilee," 



ON SYRIAN SLOPES i8i 

so full of Biblical history and beauty. The first com- 
plete view of that lake about which we have thought 
many times, and have looked forward to as one of 
the goals of our trip. 

Below us is the city of Tiberias, surrounded by a 
high, black, dilapidated wall, built by Herod Anti- 
pas, while nearby stands the castle of this Roman 
governor, desolate, deserted, and but a spectre of the 
might and power which its proud possessor once 
wielded. Beside it are the buildings, including the 
hospital, of the Scottish mission, within whose walls 
are taught those truths which Christ inculcated into 
the minds of his disciples on the shores of this mem- 
orable lake. 

Across the waters are the hills of the Gadarenes, 
and it was down one of these that the swine rushed 
into the sea. The city of Tiberias is not attractive 
with streets having gutters in the centre into which 
the refuse and garbage are thrown, yet one can 
sometimes look through doorways into courtyards 
where there are trees and shrubbery. 

We stay at the monastery and consider ourselves 
fortunate when we hear tales concerning the activity 
of the insect life at the one hotel in the place. 

A sail across the lake takes us to Tell Hum, the 
probable site of Capernaum. Here they have laid 
bare ruined walls which may have been parts of the 
synagogue that the rich centurion built for the peo- 
ple. If this is not the site of Capernaum, the real 
one must have been near there, and it was in that 
city where Jesus loved to live and labor. Not far 
distant is the spot where stood the ancient Magdala, 
while further down we come to the site of Bethsaida. 

A wind ruffles the water, a tempestuous sea re- 
sults, and we are reminded how He "rebuked the 
wind and the sea; and there was a great calm." 
And on another occasion He walked on the same 



1 82 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

sea, to the amazement of his disciples. 

To-day the Bedouins have pitched their black 
tents on these shores, and are pasturing their flocks 
on the neighboring hillsides, but this fact does not 
detract from the emotions which we feel as we look 
upon the very places where our Saviour fed the mul- 
titude, taught his disciples and instilled into them by 
parable and precept the principles of that religion 
which was destined to become world-wide. 

Our journey to Damascus is over the railroad 
which starts from Haifa and crosses the plain of 
Esdraelon, a most picturesque route, as the road 
winds up through the deep gorge of the Yarmuk 
river and around the mountains. Occasionally, we 
can look across to the opposite side of the canon and 
see the track far above us, and then it will emerge 
beyond a tunnel at an elevation which seems well 
nigh impossible for us to attain. 

In a distance of twenty miles we rise i,ooo feet 
by means of this marvel of engineering skill, which 
at jfirst must have produced wonder and astonish- 
ment in the minds of the Bedouins, whose camps dot 
the high banks. We cross the broad plain of Hau- 
ran near Mount Hermon, and after a ride of eleven 
hours from Tiberias, the domes and minarets of 
Damascus come into view. The first impression of 
this city is one of filth and uncleanness, and a stay 
of some days does not tend to change this opinion. 

Very few authentic places connected with Biblical 
history can be seen in this city, which rivals Cairo 
in brilliant and fascinating scenes of the Arabian 
Nights. But, in a ride around the walls, we see the 
place where Paul is said to have been let down from 
the window In a house on the wall, while not far 
away the house of Namaan, in which lepers are kept 
at present, is pointed out. The great Mosque of the 
Omeiyades is only to be compared with that of Cor- 



ON SYRIAN SLOPES i8 



J 



dova, and St. Sophia in Constantinople. The last 
two may outshine the Damascus mosque in beauty 
and richness, but in the acme of its glory this must 
have been the richest and finest the world has ever 
seen, the highest type of Moslem art and magnifi- 
cence. 

The tomb of the mighty Saladin, as well as that 
of Fatima, daughter of Mahomet, and the shrine 
of St. George have some interest for the traveler. 

But this city has many scenes which seem strange 
to western eyes. Among them are the streets with 
the square, stone houses, whose windows are latticed 
so that the Moslem women can look out, while no 
one from the outside can peer within; the mosques, 
with the graceful, slender minarets; the bazaars, 
full of wares of the Orient; the people of all classes 
from the beggar in a mass of rags to the woman 
from the harem, clad in her silks and jewels; the 
venders of all kinds of drinks and sweetmeats, who 
call attention by rattling brass cups and shouting 
"O get thirsty, cool your heart." The fruit and 
vegetable sellers attract custom by saying, "O ye 
people, I have fine melons. If an old woman eats 
of them she will wake up young." The flower boys 
cry: "Appease thy mother-in-law," meaning take her 
a bouquet. It is all these and hundreds of other 
sights which make Damascus unique, and cause the 
visitor to forget its dirt. 

The people seem to be industrious and are busy 
at work, plying their trade in the little booths which 
line the streets, but all are employing the most prim- 
itive methods. 

Full of interest is our visit to a large establish- 
ment where the Damascene work is made. Beauti- 
ful are the brass articles inlaid with silver, but one 
is astonished to see even little children engaged in 
the intricate processes. In one room is a wee bit 



1 84 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

of a girl of four years, so small that her feet rest in 
a loop of cord, as she sits on her bench and pounds 
the filament of silver wire into its proper place on a 
brass vase. Evidently child labor seems to be at a 
premium in this land, where the little ones go out 
to service and scrub floors, even before they have 
shed their baby teeth. 

The orchards of apple, orange, lemon, pomegran- 
ite, mulberry, almond, and walnut seen around the 
city form a strong contrast, with their green, to the 
brown, barren desert beyond. 

The Arab regards Damascus as a vision of Para- 
dise, and it is said that when Mahomet reached this 
place he looked down upon it from a neighboring 
height, but refused to enter, saying that man could 
have only one Paradise, and he would wait till he 
reached the one above. 

Leaving Damascus we journey up the valley of 
the Barada in the midst of lofty mountains, some of 
which are covered with snow. In Northern Syria 
there are many vineyards and orchards of mulberry 
trees. The latter produce two crops of leaves; the 
first is for the silk-worms, while the second is fed to 
the sheep by the children, who fairly stuff the leaves 
down their throats. 

We change cars at Rayak, and in one hour come 
in sight of one of the watch-towers of the plain 
around the ruins of Baalbec. 

"Glorious cityl where the sun, 
Long ages past mysterious worship won." 

After a short rest in our hotel, — the Palmyra — 
which is a most comfortable hostelry, we start with 
a Turkish guide for the ruins which loom up grandly 
right before us. We enter them from the north 
side, ascending some granite steps placed there by 
the Germans^ who made the excavations here, after 



ON SYRIAN SLOPES 185 

the visit of Emperor William in 1898. From a plat- 
form at the top of the staircase we go into the 
Priests' Court, which formerly had about fifteen 
feet of dirt on it before it was removed some years 
ago. We can easily see where the Arabs placed 
smaller stones on top of the wall to form a better 
defence against the Romans. They also made small 
arches with slits in them, through which they could 
hurl their spears. The immense granite balls used 
in the catapults are piled up nearby. In a part of 
this court Constantine built a basilica, and his fol- 
lowers defaced the figures on the walls of the foun- 
tains, and in all places where they could reach them. 
There are two exedrae with niches for statues which 
have beautiful carvings. 

Adjoining the basilica is the great Temple of the 
Sun with six of the original fifty-eight magnificent 
columns still standing. They are seventy-five feet 
in height, and ten in diameter, with finely carved 
architraves, and lion's heads for gargoyles, through 
which the water ran from the roof. Just south was 
the Temple of Bacchus with a few of its sixty col- 
umns still erect. On the west is the high wall, con- 
taining three immense stones, each weighing some 
800 tons, and brought from a quarry a half mile 
away. One wonders how these colossal stones could 
have been conveyed here and then raised to this 
height. In the quarry is a stone all cut and ready 
for transportation and this weighs 1,500 tons. This 
is undoubtedly the largest stone in the world, and 
we can easily believe, that after it was cut no means 
suitable for taking it to its destination could be de- 
vised. 

We look with wonder upon these vestiges of tem- 
ples, wondering how impressive they must have been 
when they stood in all their pristine glory. 

Only those of Karnak can equal them in great- 



1 86 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

ness of plan and proportions, but for beauty of situ- 
ation and ornamentation these are more impressive. 

Moreover, the Egyptian temples can show 
nothing comparable to these fine sculptured archi- 
traves and elaborate Corinthian capitals, all 
wrought so delicately and effectively that time has 
not impaired their beauty. And we wonder as to 
the methods employed in building these mammoth 
structures, when we see the enormous stones which 
form a part of a wall far above our heads. These 
immense blocks are probably the largest ever used 
in any building. 

Surely the people of those earlier ages deserve 
more credit than we are wont to give them. 

The next day we stand again before these mighty 
columns and eternal walls, and the wonder grows 
as to this : — 

"City of mystery! by whose hands were piled 
Those gorgeous fanes on Syria's lonely wilds? 
No record tells, but Roman art is here, 
More rich than chaste, more splendid than severe. 
Who reared yon stones? or were they upward 

hurled. 
The huge foundations of a granite world? 
A hundred giants could not lift them there, — 
Did Eblis build their mass, or powers of air? 
We ask in vain, and only marvelling stand. 
And scarce believe that work by human hand. 
And yet, perchance, far back in history's night. 
These blocks were heaved by old Phoenician might, 
And here, since Abraham walked the world, have 

lain. 
The elder Baalbec's dark and sole remain." 

The snow-capped mountains of Anti-Lebanon 
form a most striking background for these pic- 
turesque ruins, and this chain is visible most of the 



ON SYRIAN SLOPES 187 

way, as we cross them, and wind back and forth 
down through the valley to Beyrout. This Is a city 
without antiquities, but one In which there are one 
hundred schools of different kinds, chief among 
which is the Syrian Protestant College, where a 
thousand young men of various creeds, from Egypt, 
Syria, and Asia Minor are being trained. 

As we attend chapel exercises and look upon this 
body of students, we feel that here Is a part of the 
leaven at least, which Is going to make itself felt In 
the great work of civilizing the Turkish Empire. 

The last day of our Syrian trip is at an end. To- 
morrow we start for Constantinople, sailing along 
the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. It is with 
real regret that we leave this land, where we have 
passed a month full of profit and pleasure. We can 
look back upon the time as well spent, and full of 
interest. Experiences of many kinds have fallen to 
our lot, but we have seen other travelers who have 
had far more serious ones, for we have met with no 
accident, and have been attended with good health. 
We believe that much of the success of our trip is 
due our Syrian dragoman, Michael Jacob, who has 
been most faithful In the discharge of every duty. 
He has shown himself efficient, tactful and attentive, 
with an executive ability becoming an army officer, 
and possessing a knowledge of the Bible, and of 
Biblical history, that a theological graduate might 
covet. 

The weather has not always been propitious, but 
on the whole we cannot complain, for fresh, crisp 
air, and bright, blue skies have been ours much of 
the time. So that it has been a continual pleasure 
to be abroad in this land of abundant wild flowers, 
and wonderful natural scenery, where the hills and 
vales teem with sacred memories, and Christianity 
had its birth place. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

Constantinople 

"The cypress of Scutari 

In stern magnificence look down 
On the bright lake and stream of sea, 

And glittering theatre of town: 
Above the throng of rich kiosks, 

Above the towers in tripletire, 
Above the domes of loftiest mosques, 

These pinnacles of death aspire." 

TWO weeks ago we said good-bye to Bey- 
rout, and a land where we spent a most 
enjoyable month. 
For eight days we cruised In the east- 
ern part of the Mediterranean, going at first along 
the shores of Alexandretta, Tripoli, Mersina and 
Cyprus, and stopping at some of these places. The 
first named is the most eastern port of the Mediter- 
ranean, and is a very desirable, strategic point, be- 
cause here is situated the only pass in the mountains 
through which a railroad could be built to the Eu- 
phrates valley, and the possession of this would mean 
an open way overland to India. Various nations are 
trying to obtain it, but It Is reported that the Ger- 
mans are In a fair way to secure the coveted prize. 
Not far from Mersina Is Adana, where a most cruel 
massacre took place in the last Armenian trouble. 

The barren shores of Cyprus show little of the 
prosperity of classical or medieval times, when this 
island was densely populated. We know that St. 
Paul visited Cyprus and that Richard Coeur de Lion 

i88 



CONSTANTINOPLE 189 

conquered it on his way to Palestine. Since then it 
has been seized at different times by various powers, 
and reflects in turn the influences to which it has 
been exposed. It is at present ruled by the British, 
but pays a tribute to Turkey which leaves a very small 
margin for such necessary expenses as roads and pub- 
lic works. 

As we enter the eastern division of the Grecian 
Archipelago, we realize that we are passing the most 
historic shores in the world. After the conquest of 
Greece by Alexander, he showed his greatness by 
turning civilization towards the East, instead of to- 
wards the West, and these lands received the bene- 
fit and were colonized. In this way Greek culture 
was diffused, and Alexandria, Rhodes, and Per- 
gamon became the three great cities of Hellenistic 
art. 

The coast is picturesque with high, snow-capped 
mountains for a background, while on the water's 
edge bold promontories, flanked with boulders in 
some places, and in others covered with green grass, 
extend into the sea. Some of the islands are verdant, 
while others are barren rocks. 

Rhodes was one of the earliest centers of civiliza- 
tion, and during the 200 years that it was held by 
the Knights Templar it made a formidable bul- 
wark of Christendom against the Turks. We land 
in small boats and walk up the street of the Cheva- 
liers, which is enclosed with high walls, still show- 
ing armorial bearings and crests of Knights who 
built these fortifications. 

The ramparts, consisting of walls, within walls, 
and deep moats, seem well nigh impregnable, and 
were proven to be such, when, in 1522, they with- 
stood for months one of the most remarkable sieges 
in history,— the Knights finally being obliged to yield 
on account of lack of food. 



I90 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

The town looks cleaner and more inhabitable than 
many we have seen, yet the people do not appear as 
if any of their number could make the wonderful 
piece of sculpture known as "the Farnese Bull," 
which is in the Naples Museum and was produced 
here, as were many other statues during the period 
of the island's highest culture. 

On the mainland, not far away, is Halicarnassus, 
famous as the birthplace of Herodotus, and the site 
of a mausoleum which was one of the seven wonders 
of the ancient world. 

After the death of Mausolus, Artemisia, the queen 
regent, fought for Xerxes at Salamis, and was the 
heroine of the exploit which induced the king to ex- 
claim, "My men are become women, and my women 
men." It was this woman who began this memorial 
for her husband, and it must have been a work of ex- 
traordinary magnificance in design and remarkable 
grace and vigor in execution, for the names of Scopas 
and Praxiteles are associated with the sculptures 
which adorned its walls. This mausoleum, built of 
Parian marble, was 140 feet high and 411 feet in 
circumference, being surmounted by a pyramid, sup- 
porting a chariot with four horses. 

We pass so near the island of Chios that we 
can almost throw a stone on to its banks from our 
ship. It is the richest island of the Aegean and the 
one which has suffered most from wars and earth- 
quakes. Its capital was completely destroyed by an 
earthquake in 1881, when the great monastery of 
Nearmone, with its library of 1200 volumes, was 
hurled bodily into the sea, one monk only escaping. 

As we sight Patmos we are reminded of the apos- 
tle John's captivity and vision. A monastery on the 
summit is the most conspicuous object on the island. 

Excavations on Samos have brought to light some 
interesting fragments, though it was already known 
that this was the first place where bronzes were cast. 



CONSTANTINOPLE 191 

We pass Lesbos, Kos, and other islands, all of which 
were prominent at the time of Greece's highest de- 
velopment. Apelles, the greatest of Greek painters, 
and Hippocrates, the father of medical science, 
were born on the island of Kos. Near modern Kos 
are traces of the shrine of Asclepios, where Hippoc- 
rates and his successors ministered. 

Smyrna is the only one of the cities in which was 
located one of the seven churches of Asia, that re- 
tains any considerable portion of its magnificence. 
After the Crimean War, English companies built 
two lines of railway from this city into the richest 
parts of Asia Minor, and this fact gave it a degree 
of commercial prosperity which has placed it in the 
front rank of Syrian cities. No visit to Smyrna is 
complete without seeing Ephesus, which is situated 
about fifty miles to the south. The railway to this 
old town crosses the "Meadows of Asia," as it is 
called— a broad, beautiful and fertile area, hemmed 
in with mountains on both sides. It is interesting to 
know that Asia Minor and the whole continent have 
taken their name from these few thousand acres. 
To-day trains of camels, laden with the products of 
the Orient, are seen wending their way along this 
plain, coming from the valley of the Euphrates, just 
as they did 3,000 years ago. The extensive ruins 
of Ephesus bear witness to the magnificent temples, 
theatres, gymnasia, and other buildings that beauti- 
fied this ancient city. 

Art, science, and poetry found here a favorable 
soil, so that the city attained great importance in the 
Greek world, but when the Romans became masters 
of Asia, this prosperity assumed even greater pro- 
portions. As the capital of the whole province of 
Asia it became the entrepot of the trade between the 
East and the West. Only a few blocks remain of 
the Temple of Diana, as most of the marble has been 



192 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

used in building a mosque, while the best of what 
was excavated a few years ago, was taken to the Brit- 
ish Museum, where in importance, it ranks next to 
the Elgin marbles. This temple enjoyed a world-wide 
reputation, and was graphically referred to in the 
Acts of the Apostles, as "The great goddess Diana, 
whom all Asia and the world worshipeth." 

From the stupendous masonry of the theatre we 
can easily imagine its grandeur and size, for we are 
told that it could seat 30,000 persons. Here oc- 
curred the events recorded in Acts XIX. during the 
riot fomented by Demetrius, the silversmith, when 
Paul was in so much trouble. 

Ephesus, as the head of the churches In Asia, long 
continued to enjoy its old importance, and was proud 
of the great personages who had belonged to its 
church, — Paul, Timothy and John. But as a result of 
the prolonged struggle between the Greek empire and 
the Turks, It fell Into complete decadence. At pres- 
ent only ruins attest its former grandeur. Storks 
build their great nests on the high arches, and look 
down upon the passerby as If they were saying, "We 
are the proud possessors." 

We continue our course across the Gulf of Smyrna, 
and at early dawn are entering the Hellespont, near 
which Is seen the site of Troy. The plain on which 
the Homeric battles took place stretches down from 
the city to the sea. Along the shore may still be 
seen many of the tumuli which Greek tradition iden- 
tified as the tombs of the heroes. The banks of the 
Dardanelles are replete with history. 

At Abydos the passage is less than three-quarters 
of a mile wide. It was here that: 

"Vain Xerxes spurred his war-horse through the tide, 
And bore his fleet o'er naountain-tops." 

Long before this event LeaijcJcr tried to swim 





■4W-> 




AlUEZZIN CALUXG THE HOUR UF PRAYER 



CONSTANTINOPLE 193 

across to see Hero, — a method of crossing which 
Lord Byron repeated at the beginning of the last 
century. 

The next morning we are sailing the Sea of Mar- 
mora. On our right bank is the military hospital 
where Florence Nightingale mitigated the sufferings 
of the soldiers in the Crimean War. Near by is 
the cemetery in which 8,000 British soldiers, victims 
of the same campaign, lie for the most part in un- 
named graves. 

The approach to Constantinople is most beautiful 
and very impressive to the traveler coming over the 
sea. On the left is Stamboul, and separating this 
from Pera, the European part of the city, is the 
Golden Horn, while before us is the Bosphorus— the 
hi^oric watei-way leading to the Black Sea. It re- 
minds one of the Hudson, and the high banks and 
lofty hills, often surmounted with palaces, are not 
unlike the palisades and hills along that river. 

The Golden Horn may have taken its name both 
from its shape, and the fact that it was the harbor 
into which, under Byzantine and Ottoman rule, were 
brought the spoils of nations, which became the 
treasures of the empire. 

The different parts of the city are situated far 
above the bay, and, with their towers and minarets, 
present a very unique appearance. The Galata 
tower in Pera is now used as a fire signal station. 
A man walks around the top of it at all hours, and 
is constantly on the lookout for a fire in any part of 
the city. This tower formed the apex of a series of 
fortifications which formerly enclosed this quarter. 

Constantinople is not only the headquarters of 
the Turkish Empire, but it Is the seat of a patriarch- 
ate of the Eastern or Greek Church, and it is a 
meeting-place for men of all races and religions. 
Costumes and dialects of every variety are to be 



194 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

seen and heard on the streets, where Armenian por- 
ters, Levantine sailors, Greek merchants, Turkish 
soldiers, priests of various creeds, mullams and 
dervishes jostle each other all day long. But per- 
haps the most characteristic denizens of the Constan- 
tinople streets are the hordes of ownerless dogs, 
which pass the whole of their existence in the public 
thoroughfares. The pedestrians will turn out for 
them as they lie on the sidewalks, and the carriage 
drivers seldom injure them if they take up their 
position in the streets. They pick up a living from 
what is thrown into the gutters, and thus become the 
public scavengers. They have portioned out the 
streets of the city into districts by some method of 
their own, and any dog that ventures to trespass out 
of its own district into another is attacked and driven 
back by the dogs of the domain into which it has 
strayed. They are quite responsive to kindness, and 
seldom are troublesome to pedestrians.* 

Many of the houses have wooden latticed win- 
dows, so that the Mohammedan women can look 
out without being seen from the street. 

The person coming from Damascus realizes that 
he is still in the land of the Mohammedan, for the 
mosques are very numerous. It is said that there 
are 361; in the city. The largest is St. Sophia, which 
is the finest in the world. For a thousand years it 
was a Christian church, but for the last five hundred 
it has been used as a Mohammedan mosque. As we 
look up into its immense dome, covered with 
mosaics and frescoes, and upheld by verde antique 
monoliths, quarried in Thessaly, and porphyry col- 
umns brought from the Temple of the Sun at Baal- 
beck, and then turn our gaze down the great nave, 



*Since writing the above the dogs of Constantinople have 
all been removed to an island, where they were left to die. 



CONSTANTINOPLE 1 9 ^ 

with its rows of fine columns, its beautiful floor, and 
walls covered with many colored marbles, we feel 
that Justinian — the builder of this massive pile — 
had some reason for exclaiming, "I have surpassed 
thee, O Solomon!" though he did not realize that 
his building covered ten times the area of the Jew- 
ish temple. The former magnificence of the city is 
revealed in its treasury, where there are gold and 
silver and precious stones of untold value. Among 
them can be mentioned a throne of beaten gold and 
inlaid work, adorned with thousands of valuable 
stones, taken in 15 14 by Sultan Selim I. from the 




Mosque 

Pasha of Persia; a divan of Turkish work, inlaid 
and encrusted with precious wood and stones; a 
great golden tankard, studded with 2,000 diamonds; 
huge emeralds, three inches in diameter; maces and 
daggers whose hilts hold gems as large as hen's 
eggs; robes of state, stiff with gold and precious 
stones, — all these splendid gems, glowing with a 
brilliancy well nigh unimaginable. It is probably 
the finest treasury in the world, except that at Mos- 
cow. 

The museum is rich in Graeco-Roman sculpture, 
reliefs, and inscriptions of great historic interest. 
Finely carved sarcophagi show the art of the sculp- 
tor. One, formerly supposed to be that of Alexan- 
der the Great, and made of Pentelic marble, is very 
beautiful, and in a most perfect state of preserva- 
tion. The city is rich in columns and obelisks — some 



19^ OU^ YEAR ABROAD 

of which have been built to commemorate historic 
events, while others have been brought here by the 
hand of the despoiler, who took them from other 
lands. 

The bazaars here, as in Damascus, are a source 
of attraction to the tourist, both from the nature of 
their wares and the inexplicable desire that the travel- 
ler exhibits to barter with the tarbooshed salesman, 
who generally is too sharp for his customer. These 
bazaars form a series of passages, lined with stalls, 
and covered with stone vaulting. 

Of course, we go to see the whirling dervishes, 
who hold their services every Friday. 

As it is the last week that the palace and gardens 
of the former Sultan will be open to the public, we 
visit them and find the place most ideal, in the trees, 
shrubs, flowers, and tropical birds. A lake is in the 
midst, and on this the harem women indulge in 
boat rides. 

When the former Sultan was taken to Salonica 
he was allowed to carry with him only three of his 
250 wives. Soon the present Sultan will move up 
into this palace, with his seven wives, leaving the 
abode where his brother, the old Sultan, kept him 
a prisoner for many years. 

This Sultan seems to have the welfare of the peo- 
ple at heart, and is not open to bribes like his prede- 
cessor. As a rule the intelligent Turk is kindly dis- 
posed, unselfish and full of personal virtues, but en- 
tirely devoid of patriotism, in the sense in which the 
American feels it. 

The hope of the country lies in the young Turkish 
party, which has been the dominant factor for the 
last two years. Many of its members are only Mo- 
hammedan in name, as was evidenced from a con- 
versation which we had with a guide who was show- 
ing us a mosque. He pointed out some relics which 



CONSTANTINOPLE 197 

some one, who had been to Mecca, had brought back 
and hung up in a conspicuous position in the mosque. 
We asked this guide, a very intelligent young man, 
who spoke English fluently, if he had ever been to 
Mecca, and he said, "No, why should I go there, 
I don't believe in it." "But," we replied, "you are 
a Mohammedan, how is that?" And his significant 
answer was, "I believe in one God, just as you do." 
We are told that there are many followers of Islam 
who secretly read the Bible, and would be Christians 
if they dared assert their views. Surely, as Lessing 
says, "The morning dawns, and the signs of the 
times are legible." 



CHAPTER XIX 

The Wonders of Ancient Greece 

"Fair Greece ! sad relic of departed worth ! 
Immortal, though no more; though fallen, great!" 

AS we enter the Aegean sea from the Dar- 
danelles, en route to Greece from Con- 
stantinople, we feel that every island, 
every bay and even the smallest headland 
is steeped in poetry and history. 

The Aegean was the home of a very early civili- 
zation and, in historic times, the islands were band- 
ed together in a federation of which Delos was the 
centre. The forests, that classical poets have made 
famous, have disappeared, but the islands still have 
great beauty of form and color, while the inhabi- 
tants, like most Greeks, are very hospitable. 

We pass many islands, among them Andros and 
Tenos, separated from Euboea only by the D'Oro 
channel. The former was sacred to Dionysius, and 
the latter had a temple dedicated to Poseidon. De- 
los, though now deserted and a wilderness of ruins, 
answering almost literally to the scriptural idea of 
desolation, — "not one stone upon another," must al- 
ways be a center of interest to the student. Paros, 
lying close to Naxos, is celebrated for its Parian mar- 
ble. Herodotus says that Miltiades received his 
death wound here. It was the birthplace of the 
great Grecian sculptor Scopas, as well as of various 
painters and poets. 

Ceos is mentioned by Virgil as being the most 
fruitful of the Cyclades and it is still very produc- 

198 



WONDERS OF ANCIENT GREECE 199 

tive, exporting large quantities of wine, honey, lem- 
ons, figs, and silks. 

After rounding the promontory of Sunium, on 
which are seen a few columns, the remains of an an- 
cient temple, we catch a glimpse of the Acropolis, and 
soon enter the Piraeus, the port of Athens. We ef- 
fect a landing by means of small boats, and then 
hasten away to the city itself, some three miles dis- 
tant. 

On our right rises Mt. Hymettus, which is still 
noted for its fine honey, and the beautiful purple 
tinge which it assumes at sunset. Beyond the Acro- 
polis is Mt. Lycabettus, now surmounted with a 
church and on the east Mt. Pentelicus, whence came 
the marble for the temples of Athens. Cutting the mar- 
ble at the quarry was a laborious process performed 
by slaves, as blasting was unknown, but one can still 
see the marks of the tools that were used. 

As soon as we enter the city we are reminded that 
we are in classical Greece, for the very names of the 
streets— Hermes, Aeolus, Athena, etc.— savor of an- 
tiquity. 

"Desolate Athens ! though thy gods are fled. 
Thy temples silent, and thy glory dead. 
Though all thou hadst of beautiful and brave 
Sleep in the tomb, or molder in the grave. 
Though power and praise forsake thee, and forget, 
Desolate Athens, thou art lovely yet!" 

The city itself is far more attractive and beau- 
tiful than we had supposed. The streets are broad 
and' there are several parks full of trees, shrubs, and 
flowers. Constitution Square, in front of the palace, 
contains many orange trees that are now in blossom, 
and can be scented for quite a distance. Street cars 
are numerous, and are numbered so that it is not dif- 
ficult to find one's way around the town. The Acrop- 



2.00 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

oils is most commanding, with the ruins of the Par- 
thenon, Propylea, Temple of Nike, and Erechthe- 
um rising from the summit. They look about as we 
had pictured them, only more imposing perhaps, as 
the walls around the top, beneath the buildings, are 
very high and give the whole a distinctively lofty 
appearance. 

It is quite a climb up the steps of the Propylea 
which is the entrance to the Acropolis. It was by 
these same steps that the processions were wont 
to ascend to the Parthenon, when they came along 
the Sacred Way, and over the plain from Eleusis. 
The small temple of Nike Apteros, on the summit, 
at the right of the Propylea, is very attractive. Its 
beauty and size can be conjectured from the re- 
mark, "How lovely and cunning!" which we heard 
made by some one in a party of English-speaking 
persons, who were gazing at it in rapture. Form- 
erly, on its balustrade, was the marble figure of Nike 
fastening her sandal, now in the Acropolis museum, 
and noted for its classical beauty, the drapery seem- 
ing absolutely perfect. In this temple was a statue 
of Athena, with attending Nikes around her. 

A few rods east of the Propylea stood the great 
statue of Athena — a visible embodiment of perfect 
knowledge. There, above the city of art and learn- 
ing arose this heroic figure, a most noble speci- 
men of artistic skill. It was the first object seen by 
the sailor as he entered the harbor, and the last, as 
his receding prow cut the distant waters. Glowing 
in the light of a Grecian sky, it was "an inspiration 
to poets, an ideal of wisdom to philosophers, and 
an object of veneration to all Athens." Beyond this 
can be outlined the foundation of the temple that 
preceded the Parthenon. 

Just north is the Erechtheum, with the Caryatid 
porch of six columns in the form of maidens. One 



WONDERS OF ANCIENT GREECE 201 

of these was removed by Lord Elgin, who replaced 
it with a dark terra cotta one that looks quite unlike 
the others. Just south of the old temple of Athena 
the Greeks reared the Parthenon — undoubtedly the 
most simple, yet beautiful and harmonious example 
of Doric architecture that the world has ever seen. 
To-day the very ruins are majestic, and we can 
easily imagine what this temple must have been 
when all of its fifty columns were intact, and pedi- 
ment and architrave were decorated with sculptures 
which represented, as it were, all the highest attain- 
ments of art. 

Within the Parthenon was the gold and ivory 
statue of Athena, made by the hand of Phidias, and 
in which he embodied the Greek idea of deity with 
so much success that he is said to have "added some- 
thing to the received religion." The great beauty 
of the lines of the Parthenon consists in the subtle- 
ness of the curves, there being in point of fact, no 
straight lines. A portion of the western pediment 
remains so that the figures can easily be seen. Less 
than one-half of the metopes of the outside frieze, 
and part of the frieze that ran around the top of the 
solid inside structure are left, but enough remains to 
look like a procession passing along on high. Some 
pieces of these remarkable sculptures have been 
wantonly destroyed, while others have been taken 
to London and the Louvre, and we regret their dis- 
appearance. Lord Elgin may have carried away 
the marbles which have enriched the British mu- 
seum, but he could not remove the ethereal blue of 
these skies, and the balmy atmosphere under which 
they should be seen. 

Scott says: — 

"If one would see Melrose aright, 
Go view it by the pale moonlight." 



202 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

And we do not fail to return to this spot on the 
first available moonlight night. Under the weird 
light of the moon all the rough places are made 
smooth, and the whole is tinged with a mellow glow 
tliat is indescribable. But the moon is climbing high, 
and the shadows of the great pillars are shortening, 
reminding us that we must wend our way down- 
ward, which we do, realizing, as we never have be- 
fore, what some writer meant when he called archi- 
tecture "frozen music." 

At the distance of a stone's throw is Mars Hill. 
A few steps show how the people ascended, but un- 
doubtedly they stood at the base when St. Paul ad- 
dressed them. It was a most fitting place, and he 
probably pointed to the temples near by when he 
told them that the "Lord of heaven and earth dwell- 
eth not in temples made with hands." 

Just across a ravine, on the hillside, are some 
steps and a platform cut in the solid rock, and here 
the orators stood when they talked to the people of 
the city who congregated in great numbers before 
them. 

A well-preserved temple of the Ionic order is the 
Theseum and many of the sculptures are intact. 

The Tower of the Winds, built by Andronicus in 
the first century, shows the eight faces that mark the 
points of the compass. A part of the old sacred 
way, as it leads to the Acropolis, is still pointed out 
and the cemetery near by is most interesting. Some 
of the head stones are works of art, and show that 
the sculptor lavished much time upon these me- 
morials. One in particular represents a young man 
on horseback, and another lying on the ground — the 
former was the figure of a Corinthian victor who 
had been successful three times in the 01}Tnpic 
games, and this fact entitled him to have a statue 
erected In his honor. At the southeast corner, be- 



WONDERS OF ANCIENT GREECE 203 

low the Acropolis, is the theatre of Dionysius, a 
spot well chosen, both from the natural slope of the 
hillside, and the beauty of the situation. The ruins 
of this immense pile have been excavated since 1862. 
It was capable of seating 20,000 people; the great 
semi-circle of seats rising one above another and 
facing the sea. The seats of honor in the front row 
are of marble, and have the names of the official 
owners inscribed upon them. The middle seat was 
given to the priest of Dionysius himself, and is finely 
carved on all sides. Not far distant is the small 
choragic monument of Lysicrates, dating from 335 
B. C. " 

Sixteen of the 104 original columns mark the site 
of the Olympieum, which was more than 400 years 
in process of construction. Some of the old columns 
were taken to Rome by Sulla, and were used in the 
Capitoline Temple. One of the most interesting 
places in Athens is the stadium which is situated just 
across the Ilissus in a natural hollow formed by three 
hills, spurs of Hymettus. In 331 B. C, Lycurgus 
formally levelled the place and set a wall round 
it for spectators. In the second century of our era 
Herodes Atticus fitted the slopes with rows of mar- 
ble seats and in 1896 a Greek gentleman, named 
OverofF, emulated this Roman benefactor of 
Athens, and dressed the stadium again in marble, 
in an effort to revive the ancient games of Greece, 
The length of the stadium is over two hundred 
yards, and the breadth nearly forty. It was here 
that the celebrated quadrennial games took place. 

While many pieces of sculpture have been taken 
from Athens to the museums of other countries, yet 
valuable objects have been left on the soil to which 
they were indigenous, and the Acropolis and the Na- 
tional Museum of this city have been enriched there- 
by. 



204 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

One can easily trace the development of Grecian 
art in these collections. The early artists made the 
human figure round like a tree trunk, and then 
clothing was added, with just a semblance of folds. 
These gradually became beautiful and graceful, cul- 
minating in the time of Phidias and Scopas who 
wrought many of the decorations on the Parthenon. 

In the National museum are the gold and silver 
ornaments that Dr. Schllemann found at Mycenae. 
One whole room is decorated with Tanagra figures 
and vases discovered in Boeotia; another contains 
simply bronzes; another steles, or gravestones, upon 
which the Greeks lavished great skill ; another figure 
sculptures; still another Grecian antiquities, and thus 
the whole forms a remarkable collection. 

A never failing source of interest to the stranger 
in Athens are the royal guards who look very pic- 
turesque in their jaunty caps, colored vests, white 
frilled skirts, about eighteen Inches long, knee 
trousers, and pointed shoes, ornamented with huge 
rosettes at the toes. 

A trip to Greece Is not complete without seeing 
various places outside of Athens. Therefore we 
spend a week visiting Delphi, Corinth, Mycenae, Ar- 
gos, Tiryns, Nauplla, Olympia, and Patras. 

We leave the Piraeus by boat and soon pass the 
Bay of Salamis, where Xerxes, seated on a neigh- 
boring height, saw his navy vanquished. 

To the south lies Aeglna, and we skirt the coast 
to the Isthmus of Corinth, through which has been 
cut a canal. In digging It they found evidences of 
a canal which Nero built, and on a rock was Inscribed 
the speech which this ruler made at Its opening. 

Landing at Itea we drive over the plains through 
an Immense olive grove, and then up into the moun- 
tains to Delphi which is 2,000 feet above the sea. 
If beauty of situation were conducive to oracular 



WONDERS OF ANCIENT GREECE 205 

inspiration then the Greeks must have had reason 
to beheve in the oracle at Delphi, for we can scarce- 
ly conceive a more attractive spot. In the rear, Par- 
nassus raises its snowy head some 6,000 feet, while 
beneath, near the site of the temple, are lower moun- 
tains with almost vertical fronts. As we look upon 
this seat of the Muses for the first time we recall the 
following lines of Lord Byron, which express our 
feelings so well: 

"O thou Parnassus! whom I now survey 
Not in the frenzy of a dreamer's eye. 
Not in the fabled landscape of a lay, 
But soaring snow-clad through thy native sky, 
In the wild pomp of mountain majesty! 
What marvel if I thus essay to sing ! 
The humblest of thy pilgrims passing by 
Would gladly woo thine echoes with his string. 
Though from thy heights no more one Muse will 
wave her wing. 

"Oft have I dreamed of thee ! whose glorious name 
Who knows not, knows not man's divinest lore : 
And now I view thee, 'tis, alas 1 with shame 
When I recount thy worshippers of yore 
I tremble, and can only bend the knee ; 
Nor raise my voice, nor vainly dare to soar, 
But gaze beneath thy cloudy canopy 
In silent joy to think at last I look on thee." 

In these mountains was an immense cleft which 
the ancients believed was the entrance to the other 
world, and, when earthquakes took place, the peo- 
ple thought they must do something to propitiate 
the gods, so they built a temple here. Probably an 
old man had lived In some one of the caves of the 
mountain, and he had been looked upon as sort of 
an oracle, long before any temple arose. 



2o6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

The French made the excavations here a few 
years ago, having moved the villagers, who lived 
over the ruins, into houses which had been built for 
them about a mile distant. They have laid bare the 
old theatre, stadium, gymnasium, temple, treas- 
uries, and other buildings. 

We can judge of its magnificence when we are 
told that from the temple of Apollo alone, Nero 
carried five hundred statues to Rome. The stones 
of the Athenian treasury were covered with inscrip- 
tions which enabled the excavators to put it together 
quite readily. A book of 500 pages has been writ- 
ten from these Inscriptions alone. 

Earthquakes occur here quite frequently, and 
have done much damage by breaking off from the 
mountain huge boulders which roll down upon the 
temples and other structures. 

Retracing our steps we proceed to Corinth where 
the Americans have made excavations, but owing to 
lack of funds the work has not been completed, 
though there is much of interest In the two acres of 
ruins which have been uncovered. The synagogue 
in which St. Paul may have preached was unearthed 
quite recently. Nearby is the Plerean spring from 
which we drink deep draughts. Above the old town 
Is Acro-Corinth, which we reach on horseback, after 
a climb of two hours. On this trip we ride horses, 
and our donkey boys are girls, who remove their 
shoes In going over the roughest places, so as not 
to wear them out. Here the walls speak eloquently 
of the various hands Into which the fortress has 
fallen. On Hellenic foundations are Prankish, Ve- 
netian, and Turkish masonry; Byzantine churches, 
Turkish mosques and cisterns In bewildering confu- 
sion. 

Train and carriage take us to Mycenae where, 
among the ruins. Dr. Schllemann found ancient 



WONDERS OF ANCIENT GREECE 207 

tombs of great historic interest, notably those of 
Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, built in the form of 
bee-hives. Five of the tombs contained valuable 
jewels, but in the sixth there was nothing. "All go," 
said the guide, meaning that everything had been 
stolen. 

Of all the places, which we see outside of Athens, 
with the exception of Delphi, Olympia contains the 
most that links us to the past. The Germans made 
the excavations between 1875-80, and after building 
a museum for the statues and other objects discov- 
ered here, they turned it all over to the Grecian gov- 
ernment. The site is beautiful, but not as impressive 
as that of Delphi. The place was well selected for 
the games which went on here for more than a thou- 
sand years from the eighth century before Christ 
till the fourth century after, so that there was much 
rebuilding. But the sacred character of the enclosure 
prevented anything in the nature of a complete 
change, and protected the old shrines from invasion. 

The Greeks bestowed much labor and thought 
upon the many edinces which adorned this spot. The 
most important building was the temple of Zeus and 
the sculptures from the pediment of this structure 
are in the museum here. They are of earlier date 
than the famous gold and ivory statue of Zeus made 
by Phidias, which stood in the cella. 

The temple of Hera is the most ancient temple 
on Greek soil, and in it was discovered the famous 
statue of Hermes by Praxiteles. This was identified 
from the description by Pausanias and the position 
as given by him. It was found buried in clay below 
the niche on the north side of the temple where 
Pausanias saw it, and is now in the museum. It is 
the most beautiful antique statue we ever saw, not 
even excepting the Venus de Milo. 

On oiir way from Patras to Brindisi we can see 



208 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

how Greece gradually unfolds her beautiful coast 
line. In the Ionian islands Italy and Greece meet, 
in language and mariners, as well as in scenery. Our 
steamer stops for a few hours at Corfu whose 
varied history reads like a page of romance. The 
later Greeks identified it as the Homeric Phaeacia, 
an island where all the men were sailors. In classi- 
cal times the internal dissensions of Corcyra were 
the immediate cause of the Peloponnesian war. It 
was a favorite spot with the Romans, and after cen- 
turies of harrying by pirates the island paid tribute 
to Venice for 300 years. Taken from the Turks, 
when their power began to wane, it was handed by 
treaty from one power to another and finally given 
by England to Greece on the accession of King 
George, then prince of Denmark. This king has a 
summer palace there, and is occupying it at present; 
his sister, the queen of England, being his guest. 
The old palace certainly looks attractive, surround- 
ed with orange trees and shrubs of all kinds. A 
drive over the island shows that it is very fertile and 
the vegetation profuse and beautiful. Greece can 
certainly be grateful to England for this royal gift. 




TEMPLE OF HERA: OLYMPIA 



CHAPTER XX 

The Dolomite Alps and Vienna 

IT may be a long distance from Athens to 
Naples, but the spring-time has rendered all 
nature so fresh and beautiful that the five 
weeks spent on the way to Venice have been all 
too short. 

Long have we desired to see the Dolomite Alps, 
and this seems to be our opportunity, for they are 
accessible from Belluno, Botzen, Toblach and 
Brunnschen. The region of the southern Tyrol, in 
which they are situated, is most attractive. 

We have taken the last gondola ride ; have board- 
ed the train and are soon traversing the long cause- 
way leading to the mainland. Our course turns 
northward, and we are leaving the lessening domes 
of the "Queen City of the Adriatic" farther and 
farther behind. 

i\fter a ride of four hours, through fields of 
maize and flax; along hillsides where the vines are 
made to climb on low trellises near the ground, and 
not in the form of beautiful festoons from tree to 
tree as seen in southeastern Italy; among the mead- 
ows where a whole village or hamlet is out, 

"The oldest and youngest 
At work with the strongest," 

getting the new-made hay; past villages and chalets, 
ever onward to the mountains which are our goal. 

A-s to the nature and origin of these remarkable 
mountains much has been written, and the coral 
reef theory of Baron Richthofen is accepted by 

209 



2IO OUR YEAR ABROAD 

many. He bases his conclusions mainly upon the 
fact that the mountains are isolated; that they have 
marine deposits similar to those found in coral 
reefs now in process of formation in the Pacific and 
Indian Oceans ; upon the absence of deep-sea depos- 
its, and all traces of volcanic origin; and their resem- 
blance to the coral reef atolls of the present time. 

The mountains received their name from Dol- 
mien, the geologist, who first examined this mag- 
neslan lime-stone formation. Half a century ago 
the Dolomites were scarcely known to any, except 
scientific travelers. English-speaking people had 
not traversed this part of the country, which was at 
a distance from the lines of railroad connecting the 
large cities of Italy with the North. Even in this 
generation there are v/ell educated people who have 
never heard of the Dolomites, or, if the mere name 
has come to their ears, they take them for some re- 
ligious body, like the Copts in Egypt or the Mor- 
mons in America. It is only within a few years that 
roads have been built so as to render this region 
accessible. The very newness of the names of the 
hotels shows how recently they were built and, if we 
can judge, from the little village inns, of the charac- 
ter of the hostelrles which were to be found in these 
places, even a decade ago, we can readily see why 
people were not attracted to this location. 

At this date the hotels are few and far between, 
and those outside of the larger towns are most prim- 
itive, but at Belluno, Cortina, and the large places, 
fine hotels have sprung up like mushrooms. Not 
until recently has there been any good mail communi- 
cation. The facilities for getting Into and going 
through this region are excellent at present, but be- 
fore going to the place we could obtain but the most 
meagre information as to routes or prices. Rail- 
roads have been extended to the very gateways of 



DOLOMITE ALPS AND VIENNA 2 1 1 

the mountain fastnesses; roads have been built, stage 
or diligence lines have been established, and this 
year has seen automobiles added, but to see the real 
beauties and grandeur of the region the old-time 
diligence is the most satisfactory. 

Reaching Belluno by train we spend the night 
there, and then take an early start the next morning. 
Our diligence rumbles over the cobble-stones of the 
old town, and soon we are on the highway leading 
to Cortina, which is forty-six miles away. The road 
leads up through the valley, between lofty moun- 
tains, and along the high banks of rivers. Some- 
times we can look down hundreds of feet upon a 
rushing mighty stream, which pours over rocks and 
through narrow defiles. In m.ost places the country 
seems poor and the people poorer still. We often 
wonder how they can obtain enough to sustain life 
from the small patches of soil far up on some moun- 
tain side. The opening up of this region has created 
a demand for wood and lumber in the large places, 
and this has furnished a new industry whereby many 
of the people can get a fairly good return for their 
labor. 

In the side of our diligence near the front is a 
kind of drawer or cupboard, with a sht in it through 
which the people in the different towns can put their 
letters upon the arrival of this vehicle, which is the 
event of the day. 

In one place where the crowd has assembled, we 
ask some question in German of a bystander, and 
thereupon a young man, better dressed than the most 
of the people, addresses us in English. He says he 
has worked in America and is back in this little 
mountain-hemmed hamlet to see his mother who has 
been very ill the winter before. He seems glad to 
see some one to whom he can speak English, and 
takes delight in pointing out different peaks, and 



212 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

telling incidents connected with his boyhood life in 
this locality, where, he says, it used to be difficult 
for the people in winter to subsist when the snow 
would sometimes be twenty feet deep. 

Occasionally we come to a hamlet of houses of 
sufficient size to boast of a post-office, where the 
driver leaves a small mail bag which he has brought 
from Belluno. At every place where we stop our 
Jehu goes into some wine room or cellar and gets a 
drink till he has imbibed so much that it is affecting 
him, and, if we were timid, we should entertain fears 
for our safety, as we swing around corners and go 
at a most rapid rate down the grades. 

We get our lunch or dinner, as it proves to be, at 
Langarone, a very '^Deutschy" place, as some of 
our traveling companions say, but the dinner, com- 
posed of macaroni, sausage, bread and coffee, seems 
to indicate that we have not left Italy wholly behind. 

We wind up through the valley of the Reve, 
which is very narrow, sometimes a mere ravine, with 
the road high above the river, and hewn out of the 
solid rock. For long distances it is supported by 
masonry. 

Twenty-eight miles from our starting point we 
reach Pieve di Cadore, a little village perched upon 
the hillside above the river, and having an elevation 
of over 2,000 feet. 

This town is full of interest for the art lover, be- 
cause it was the birthplace of the painter Titian. 
In 1880 a bronze statue of heroic size, designed by 
a Venetian named Del Zatto, was set up in the litde 
piazza of the town. It represents the great painter 
clad in the robes and cap of an ecclesiastic, and 
standing on a square pedestal, one side of which is 
inscribed, "A Tiziano il Cadore," while upon the 
other sides are enumerated the masterpieces of the 
artist. A small white-washed stone cottage stands 



DOLOMITE ALPS AND VIENNA 2 13 

near by, and upon this is a tablet having the follow- 
ing record:* 

NelMCCCCLXXVII 

Fra Queste Vmili Mura 

Tiziano Vicellio 

Vene a celebre Vita 

Donde Visciva gla presso a cento Anni 

In Venezia 

Addi XXVII Agasto 

MDLXXVI 

It hardly seems possible that within such a mean 
looking and wholly unattractive dwelling any one 
could have first seen the light who should live to 
become great like Titian, a name that every Italian 
loves, and whose works are the glory of Venice. To 
the admirer of Titian's pictures the place is fraught 
with deep interest, and one wonders if, as a boy, he 
played around this old town, and climbed the neigh- 
boring mountains; if he saw the women wash their 
linen in the fountain, and fill their copper water-jars 
from the same source. 

A very small, dark, upper chamber has been 
pointed out for hundreds of years as the room in 
which Titian was bom, and we do not question the 
authenticity of the spot. 

Long before this painter died his fame filled all 
Italy, and this little town must have been proud 
to claim him as her son, and undoubtedly the peo- 
ple revered his birthplace as sacred, and so pre- 
served it down through ages. Near by is a house 
where the small guide points to a fresco and ex- 



*In the (year) MCCCCLXXVII, within these humble 
walls Titian Vicellio entered (upon) a celebrated life, 
whence he departed, at the end of nearly a hundred years, 
in Venice, on the 27th day of August, MDLXXVI. 



214 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

claims, "Ecco il Tiziano!" Here are three figures,—- 
a Madonna, the Christ-Child, and a boy, all said to 
have been painted by this artist at the age of eleven 
years. Mr. Gilbert, one of Titian's biographers, 
says that the boy may be a portrait of himself, and 
that he "commended himself in this manner to the 
Divine care" before he started for Venice in i486, 
when he became the pupil of Zuccati. In the vil- 
lage church or Duomo are two paintings that are 
probably genuine Titians. 

Without doubt one was painted when he was a 
boy, and in it is the reddish, golden hair that was 
his joy to represent all his life and has given the ap- 
pellation of "Titian red" to the locks of many a 
young girl. 

The other picture was the work of maturer years, 
and he may have given it to this church, for it hangs 
in the Vicelli Chapel, which was dedicated to his 
own patron saint, S. Tiziano, and under the altar of 
this chapel he had wished to be buried. But he died 
in Venice in time of a plague, and was necessarily 
buried there. 

As we leave Pieve di Cadore a ride of some five 
miles brings us near Monte Pelmo, a colossal peak 
towering upward 10,325 feet. Later the Drei Zin- 
nen come into view with their three consecutive 
peaks, and these, with the Piz Popena, and Monte 
Cristallo surround the little emerald Diirren See. 

Soon we stop at a quiet little wayside inn, and get 
a cup of coffee, eggs and rolls. While we are par- 
taking of our repast, the horses are changed and we 
are given a fine pair of grays. We feel as if we 
are riding quite in state for we are the only passen- 
gers, and our diligence has been changed for a small 
conveyance. 

At Zuel we come to a black and yellow pole which 
indicates that we have passed the Italian frontier 



DOLOMITE ALPS AND VIENNA 2 1 5 

and are in Austrian territory. The gendarme, 
who looks quite impressive as he walks to and fro 
with his head erect, and gun held vertically, accepts 
our assurance that we have nothing dutiable, and so 
we hurry on, as it is growing dark. We soon reach 
Cortina which is finely located at the base of Monte 
Tofana (10,600 feet) while the whole valley is girt 
with snow-capped peaks, the rich wooded hills 
sloping down to the very edge of the town. This 
is a good place in which to spend days, or even 
weeks, and make excursions to various points of in- 
terest. 

Botzen is on the railroad leading from Venice 
to Munich so it is very accessible to the land of the 
Dolomites and, like Cortina, finely situated with 
magnificent views of mountains and hills. But we 
select Toblach, twenty miles from Cortina, as our 
place of egress from this land of pinnacles and 
peaks. One should walk over this route, and rest 
awhile that he may have an opportunity to stand with 
bared head in view of these masterpieces of Nature: 

"So massive, yet so shadowy, so ethereal. 
As to belong rather to Heaven than Earth." 

It seems as if the Dolomites increased in beauty 
and grandeur as we follow them northward. There 
Is enough of dark green woods intermingled to give 
a variety of color, and through these we get glimpses 
of other peaks splashed with red upon a gray back- 
ground, or sometimes they are entirely brown. 

Instead of wending our way on foot among these 
giants it is our lot to go by auto, but the sharp de- 
clivities, steep ascents, and windings do not permit 
of much speeding, so we can enjoy it all. 

We occasionally meet foot-travelers, in fact, at 
one hotel in Cortina there was an English family of 
four who had walked all the way from Oberam- 



2i6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

mcrgau, and had enjoyed the whole trip. 

Longer would we tarry in the midst of these won- 
derful works of Nature, which some consider fit 
rivals of the Swiss Alps, but, arriving at Toblach 
we feel that we must turn our faces eastward to- 
ward the Austrian capital. 

Most interesting is the history of Vienna, going 
back to the time of the Romans, who fortified the 
city as early as A. D. 14. Marcus Aurelius visited 
it in A. D. 180 and died within its walls. Later 
during the Crusades it became an important center, 
because of its eastern location. Again under Maria 
Theresa, and in 18 14 the fate of all Europe was de- 
termined at the Treaty of Vienna when this city 
stood first among European capitals. Since the 
strong political power of Austria has been broken, 
Vienna has declined somewhat as a world center, 
but the Viennese still have greater reason than ever 
before to be proud of their city. 

Aside from the many modern improvements, 
dame Nature has done much toward increasing the 
beauty of the location. Situated in a low green 
basin with the Carpathian and Styrian Alps looming 
up in the distance, the sparkling blue waters of the 
Danube lend color and brightness to the landscape. 

The most radical change of late years has been 
the tearing down of the old fortifications and the 
construction of a boulevard, the Ringstrasse. Sixty- 
two yards in width and completely surrounding the 
old town, it is claimed to be one of the finest streets 
in the world. For the newcomer a very good im- 
pression of the city may be obtained by taking a ride 
of three hours around the town, and during this time 
a complete circuit of the Ringstrasse is made. 

There are many magnificent buildings in Vienna, 
most of them being comparatively new. Perhaps 
the finest square is formed by the Natural Historical 



DOLOMITE ALPS AND VIENNA 2 1 7 

Museum and the Imperial Art-Historical Museum, 
which are just alike and stand facing each other 
with a small park between, in the center of which 
rises a wonderfully beautiful statue of Maria Ther- 
esa, after whom the square is named. These two 
museums, especially the latter, are the most interest- 
ing places to be visited in the city. 

Vienna has ever been the home of music smce 
Mozart and Beethoven lived there, and the people 
take great interest in anything pertaining to music. 

Too much praise cannot be given the Royal Opera 
House, on the Ringstrasse. It is a building in the 
Renaissance style of architecture, with fine decora- 
tions. The staircase is embellished with statuary, 
and the foyer is decorated with operatic scenes and 
busts of celebrated composers. The interior will 
seat over 2,200 persons and is richly gilded and 

painted. , • 1 j 

The church of St. Stephen, part of which dates 
back to the 12th century, attracts our attention for 
many a long hour, as we wander about in rapt ad- 
miration of the exquisite stained glass windows and 
charming groups of statuary. 

There are only two other churches worthy ot 
note. One of these, the Votiv-kirche, built In 1853 
as an offering of gratitude for the escape of Francis- 
Joseph from the hand of a would-be assassin, is 
quite attractive. , 

They say that the high collar coming almost to the 
ears and common to all Austrian military coats, pre- 
vented the knife from entering the Emperor's neck 
and so saved his life. , . . 

The other church, that of the Capucins, is inter- 
esting because members of the royal family are 
burled In Its vaults. Their tombs are plated with 
silver and highly decorated, but tarnished and cheap 
looking; that of the great Empress being particularly 



21 8 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

gaudy and unbefitting the memory of such a wise 
and noble ruler. Near by is the tomb of the once 
proud and haughty Marie-Louise, second wife of 
Napoleon; while next to her stands a small leaden 
coffin, upon which some one has placed a bunch of 
violets, in touching tribute to the memory of the un- 
fortunate Due de Reichstadt, whose unhappy fate is 
so well described in Rostand's "L'Aiglon." 

We are greatly relieved to come up again into 
the fresh air and bright sunlight, and now we find 
ourselves near one of the chief shopping districts, 
but the shops are very disappointing, as we search 
in vain for something which can compare with those 
in Paris, but decide that the reports about Vienna 
being a close rival to the French capital in the world 
of fashion, are founded on mere rumor or imagina- 
tion. 

However, in respect to traffic and imminent dan- 
ger of being run over on the street, Vienna is the 
worst city we have ever visited, although to one 
who has tried to cross the Place de I'Opera and is 
still alive, this statement may appear somewhat ex- 
aggerated. 

We are agreeably surprised on seeing the Rat- 
haus, for here we are able to stand away at some 
distance and get the general effect, which opportun- 
ity was denied us with most of the buildings. Near- 
ly all of them lose much of their beauty by being 
crowded in such a way that anything like perspec- 
tive is impossible. One of the greatest attractions 
of Paris is the way in which the buildings are 
placed at the end of long boulevards where they 
can be seen at great distances and to splendid ad- 
vantage. 

The gay, light-hearted Viennese satisfies his de- 
sire for pleasure in the many parks and open air 
restaurants and cafes, thickly distributed through- 



DOLOMITE ALPS AND VIENNA 219 

out the city. The Prater is the Bois de Bologne of 
Vienna, and is particularly full of people during 
May and June, before the aristocrats vacate their 
city homes for the country. All night one hears 
the buzz of talk and laughter on the street, or the 
clink of glasses as they are set on the marble- 
topped tables in the cafes, for it is true that the 
Viennese begin to live only after eleven o'clock at 
night. 



CHAPTER XXI 

The Healing Waters of Carlsbad 

THE same internal forces of the earth 
which wreck a San Francisco, or strew 
the streets of Naples with ashes, send 
forth water that otherwise would flow 
through subterranean passages so that its healing 
properties would never be known. Europe as well 
as America has its hot springs and the great benefits 
derived therefrom are being sought for more and 
more each year. 

The town of Carlsbad is farther away from the 
beaten line of travel than Baden Baden, therefore 
fewer Americans and English speaking people find 
their way there, but it is well worth the trip. The 
most picturesque route thither is through the valley 
of the Elbe, which, for many a mile, winds between 
high banks formed of basalt which resembles that 
of the Giants' Causeway in Ireland. Then, at times, 
these lofty sides of the river seem to recede and 
terminate in high hills, crowned with castles, while 
cedar-covered gorges can be seen in all directions. 
The summer chateau of some wealthy man and the 
diminutive chalet of many a peasant add to the pic- 
turesqueness of the landscape. 

Travellers revel in the glories of the Rhine, and 
they know more about it because nearly every tour- 
ist takes a trip up or down this noted river, but the 
valley of the Elbe is more remote, and hence people 
hear less about it, and then it has not the legends 
which have made the Rhine famous in song and 
story. If it had this additional charm and were far- 

220 



HEALING WATERS OF CARLSBAD 221 

ther west, we should hear of its glories more fre- 
quently. 

This city is certainly beautiful for situation, as it 
nestles among the hills and mountains. There are 
only two streets of any length running through it 
and these, at this time of the year, are well nigh full 
of pedestrians and carriages. In fact, one of them 
is used so much as a thoroughfare for pedestrians 
that it is illegal for the driver to trot his horse here. 

Unlike Hot Springs, Ark., the season in this town 
is the summer, and a more cosmopolitan place prob- 
ably cannot be found. The wealthy come here for 
a fashionable resort while people of moderate 
means, if they have any malady, seek these waters 
for their healing properties. The fine hotels, the 
moderate-priced boarding houses and the private 
families accommodate them all. Rows of tables are 
placed under the trees that line the streets and here 
beer is served all the time and meals at stated hours. 
The springs are within the arcades or public build- 
ings, and here they send up their water to the height 
of several feet. Girls, attired in white oil-cloth 
aprons and caps, have long poles, to the end of which 
are attached little frames in which visitors place 
their cups, and then the girls quite dexterously thrust 
them into the seething fountain of water and fill the 
cups which they remove, giving them to the owners 
for a heller a piece, (one-fifth of a cent) . Then the 
people take their cups and sit around sipping the 
hot water through glass tubes and visiting with each 
other. All seem happy, even those so afflicted that 
they walk with difficulty, imbibe the honheiir of the 
place which is something of a tonic. The "Kur- 
haus" is a large building where the baths are given. 
When one comes here for treatment he Is allowed 
to eat only certain kinds of food. One gentleman 
said that his diet was so restricted that he was 



222 OUR YEAR ABROAD ^ 

obliged to eat simply boiled chicken and asparagus 
for three weeks. Most of the people must have 
their beer, as the many tables in the gardens testify. 
The stores are very attractive with their wood, ivory 
and bone carvings, and their fine specimens of am- 
ber, amethyst and garnets, the price of which seems 
quite reasonable to an American. 

After a brief stay here we proceed to Eger — a 
small town on the German frontier, where we spend 
the night at the Kaiser Wilhelm hotel, an old- 
fashioned inn, built of stone with walls a foot thick, 
truly German in all respects. Our room is most 
comfortable, but as frequently happens there is no 
bed covering except the inevitable feather bed. 
When we ask the maid for upper sheets she brings 
them, but wonders why the feather bed is not suf- 
ficiently warm. The night is somewhat cool, and 
the desirability of the feather covering is proven, 
as it has been on other occasions. Really, these 
beds are quite attractive looking with their snow 
white damask covers, and with the pretty pillow 
slips, edged with rows of lace into which the words 
"schlafe wohl" have been wrought and one can usu- 
ally fulfill the wish thus expressed and sleep well in 
this bracing climate. Our breakfast, as usual, con- 
sists of "Brodchen and Kaffee," but here we ask for 
the addition of two boiled eggs apiece, for we are 
sure they are fresh, as we were awakened by the 
fowls announcing the break of day. Napkins, with 
small but neatly embroidered initials, are given us 
and we heartily enjoy our meal, for which we pay 
the moderate price of three kroner and forty heller 
— about sixty-three cents in our money, and this in- 
cludes the night's lodging. 

While one hears comparatively little English 
spoken in Berlin, Munich, and other cities, unless he 
stops at the large hotels, yet the way to see the real 



HEALING WATERS OF CARLSBAD 223 

life of the people is to stay in a small pension, or 
private family, in a little village, where not a per- 
son in the town can speak aught else but German. 
In the cities they will advertise on the store win- 
dows, "English spoken," but sometimes an English- 
man would hardly recognize his mother tongue in 
the words of the speaker. The people are anxious 
to learn Enghsh and will try to make themselves 
understood, no matter how many mistakes they 
make — just as many Americans do in the German 
language. If one has not acquired their vernacular 
so that he can talk fluently it is better to use the vo- 
cabulary at his command, and get around with that, 
than to speak English. But it is a little humiliating 
to accost a person with some fine interrogative sen- 
tence which you mentally have constructed with care, 
and know is correct, and have him prove to be an 
American who understands not a single word of 
German — as was the experience of one of our party. 
She was hurrying to a certain place, and inquired 
of an intelligent looking gentleman, in excellent Ger- 
man, her way thither, when he replied in good Eng- 
lish, "You've got me, lady!" They both laughed 
and hurried on in their respective directions. 

One ought not to visit Germany without staying 
for a time in the quaint old city of Nuremberg. But 
this town, like so many others, is growing rapidly 
and its old-time appearance is fast disappearing. 
To-day many of the streets are covered with asphalt 
and rows of new houses are being erected, while tall 
chimneys show the extent of the manufacturing dis- 
trict, all of which is in striking contrast to the oldest 
part of the town where many gabled and red-tiled 
houses, with small-paned windows, whose sills are 
filled with boxes of flowers, form pictures that are 
very attractive. The old wall with its turrets and 
the high towered castle add to its medieval appear- 



224 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

ance. Probably in no place will one see so many 
instruments of torture peculiar to the Middle Ages 
as are shown in the Schloss. The rack and thumb- 
screw in all their forms, and other devices used to 
extort confession from criminals and to punish for 
every degree of offence, are exhibited here. The 
"Eisene Madchen," or hollow iron form represent- 
ing a person, with the interior covered with sharp 
spikes, was used to enclose a person and then it was 
gradually tightened around the body till it was 
pierced. Afterwards a trap door was opened and 
the body fell into the river far below. Near by is 
a well, 335 feet deep, cut out of the solid rock and 
from the bottom is a passage leading to the dun- 
geons, an eighth of a mile away, and through this 
the prisoners were obliged to come for their drink- 
ing water, as they were not allowed to see the light 
of day. 

But we gladly leave these unpleasant scenes, 
though we can scarcely appreciate them, since they 
happened so many centuries ago. i^fter leaving the 
delightful city of Munich our faces are set Alps- 
ward and here we find the culmination of all that 
nature can show that is grand and beautiful. Reach- 
ing Bodensee (Lake Constance) late at night we 
see nothing of its beauty till the next morning when 
the rising sun, just climbing above the distant peaks, 
seems to bid us welcome to Switzerland and, as we 
gaze across the shining waters to those hoary head- 
ed monuments of time, we feel like repeating Luth- 
er's words, which are cut on the walls of Wartburg 
castle— "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott." 



CHAPTER XXII 

Sunrise on the Rigi 

"The mountains of this glorious land 

Are conscious beings to mine eye, 
When at the break of day they stand 

Like giants, looking thro' the sky, 
To hail the sun's unrisen car, 

That gilds their diadems of snow; 
While one by one, as star by star, 

Their peaks in ether glow." 

WE have just seen our last Alpine sun- 
set and it is a most fitting finale to our 
Swiss trip which began a month ago 
when we came into this country by the 
way of Lake Constance, Zurich and Lake Zug. A 
short ride brought us to Arth Goldau at the foot of 
the Rigi, a mountain that is noted for the fine view 
of the sun-rise to be obtained from its summit. This 
little village at the base of the mountains was, the 
scene of a terrible avalanche many years ago, and 
the path of its desolation is still pointed out. The 
ascent of the Rigi can be made from Arth-Goldau in 
one hour by means of the rack and pinion railway. 
This road seems a little steep at first, but nowhere 
is the grade more than twenty-five per cent, and one 
soon forgets the danger, if there is any, as he crosses 
bridges, winds through tunnels and gazes up and 
down hundreds of feet to the peaks above and the 
gorges below. It is dark when we reach the sum- 
mit and, as we are anxious to see the sun rise from 
this noted peak, we retire early for we are to be 

225 



226 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

called at half past four In the morning, since the 
sun is expected at a quarter past five. The elevation 
is 6,000 feet and it is so cold it feels as if it would 
snow, but one can usually sleep well in this bracing 
air, if he is not affected by the altitude, and fortun- 
ately none of our party are to the extent of being de- 
prived of sleep; in fact, the night seems all too 
short and when the gong sounds through the corri- 
dor of the great hotel, announcing that the time of 
the rising sun is approaching, one of the young ladies, 
who is only half awake, when told that she must get 
up, replies, "I don't believe they'll have it to-day." 

But the crowd, who have already gone up to the 
tip top point, think differently. Some of them have 
come up and spent the night here on purpose to see 
the sun rise, while others have walked up in this keen 
frosty air from some of the hotels lower down, and 
all are bent on seeing the orb of day rise in its 
splendor. 

The eastern sky is already pink and blue, while 
the long chain of the Bernese Alps stretches away to 
the west in the gloom. Below us there is a sea of 
fog, with here and there an elevation rising like an 
island through the mist. It is cold, people are wrap- 
ped in shawls and rugs, but all are intent upon the 
scene about them which increases in beauty every 
moment till suddenly a bright spot gleams between 
some distant peaks and a great ball of fire, as it were, 
rises above the horizon. Our eyes are dazzled by 
the rays which light up peak after peak, and sur- 
round them with an indescribable glow. 

The snows of the distant Jungfrau glisten and, as 
the light creeps downward, it bathes the green slopes 
and fields of grain till finally it falls upon Lake Lu- 
cerne, whose placid waters reflect the many hued 
tints. "A wonderful sight!" people exclaim as they 
hasten down to the hotel for hot coffee and we feel 



SUNRISE ON THE RIGI 227 

that we have been very fortunate, for one man, who 
has been here three times, says, this is the first oppor- 
tunity he has had to see the sun rise, both the other 
occasions being rainy and foggy. 

We descend on the other side of the mountain, 
via Lake Lucerne, where Wilham Tell's chapel can 
be visited. 

In the city of Lucerne the most interesting object 
is the noted Lion of Lucerne, carved high up on 
the face of the rock in the park. It was made in 
memory of Swiss soldiers who lost their lives in de- 
fending the Tuileries in Paris during the French 
Revolution. The lion is dying from a blow of a spear 
which is broken off in his back and, with his paw on 
the shield of the Bourbon lily, he certainly has a most 
pathetic expression, and one that must have been very 
difficult to obtain in stone. In a building opposite 
is a smaller lion in marble, made by Thorwaldsen, 
and used as a model for the larger one. 

We proceed to Geneva, through Berne, Lausanne, 
and across the lake. 

Lake Geneva has been sung and written about till 
every one knows of its beauties, but Byron is, par 
excellence, the poet of this lake. He says in refer- 
ence to a trip across these waters : 

"This quiet sail is as a noiseless wing 
To waft me from distraction." 

On the northern bank have lived several persons 
noted in the annals of French history. At Coppet is 
a chateau where Necker, the finance minister of 
France, retreated to end his days, and where also his 
daughter, Madame de Stael, spent the years of her 
exile, when banished by Napoleon I. 

Joseph Bonaparte owned a chateau here, while 
near by is "La Bergerie," once the villa of Prince 
Napoleon. 



228 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

At Ouchy Is the Hotel Aucre where Byron and 
Shelley remained two days on account of stress of 
weather after coming across by boat from DIodatI, 
and here "The Prisoner of Chlllon" was written. 
The castle of Chlllon stands on an Isolated rock just 
beyond Montreux. Not far away Is "Clarens, Sweet 
Clarens!" rendered famous by Rousseau In his "Nou- 
velle Helolse." 

The trip to Chamonix from Geneva was form- 
erly made by stage, but now there Is a steam road to 
San Gervals, and an electric line the other twelve 
miles. Before the last named place Is reached high 
precipices almost seem to overshadow the road, and 
the fertile valley Is well nigh closed In by the moun- 
tains, so narrow are the gorges. As the electric road 
winds Its way up higher and higher the mountain 
views Increase In grandeur till finally Mt. Blanc tow- 
ers I i,ooo feet above us. As we look upon this peak 
we appreciate Byron's feelings when he said : 

"Mont Blanc Is the Monarch of Mountains: 
They crowned him long ago 
On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, 
With a diadem of snow." 

The Vale of Chamonix is twenty-eight miles In 
length and 3,500 feet above the sea. It was settled 
In the eleventh century by some Benedictine Monks, 
but In the last one hundred years Its fame has spread 
till Its beauties are known in every land, and It is 
justly celebrated for its glorious prospect of the 
"Monarch of the Alps" and of the neighboring 
peaks. The complete ascent of Mt. Blanc Is made 
by only a few of the more intrepid. The day before 
we reached there considerable rejoicing was heard In 
the village when a Frenchman, his wife and their 
guide returned from the top. They were more than 
two days over due and it was feared that they had 



SUNRISE ON THE RIGI 229 

been lost. As we look up the snow-capped peak we 
have no desire to brave the dangers intervening, but 
we do wish to go up as far as the Mer de Glace. 
This is the second largest glacier in Europe, though 
not as large as the Muir glacier In Alaska. It is 
formed of three glaciers which come down from Mt. 
Blanc and near the terminal moraine, where it is 
crossed by travelers, it is 800 feet wide. A person 
can walk there, but the more comfortable way is to 
make the ascent on a mule. Accordingly our mules 
and guides are engaged the night before. We must 
have, they say, one guide for every two mules, or they 
will not let us have them. Before daylight we hear 
the pattering of the rain and our spirits are accord- 
ingly dampened, but before seven o'clock, the ap- 
pointed hour for starting, blue sky is seen and rifts 
in the clouds reveal the snows of Mt. Blanc. 

Our mules, the two guides and a gargon appear, 
and we start on our ascent of Montanvert which is 
over 6,000 feet high and which is the point where we 
cross the glacier. On the way cedar forests, debris 
of avalanches and mountain boulders are passed, and 
at ten o'clock we reach the place where Tyndal's hut 
stood when he was making experiments on this 
glacier to prove that it had motion. But as we look 
upon this sea of ice it seems impossible to believe that 
"The glacier's cold and restless mass moves onward 
day by day." 

As some one has said, you can gain a more ade- 
quate conception of this glacier if you "imagine the 
ocean to* have overflowed the mountains in front of 
you, and to have descended foaming and dashing into 
the valley, thousands of feet below. Imagine again 
these waters in the height of their furious descent 
to have been suddenly frozen and you see before you 
thousands of sharp and tapering billows, snow-crest- 
ed heights and chasms — such is the Mer de Glace." 



230 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

It is comparatively easy to cross the glacier, for a 
person can see the steps cut in the ice, but one not ac- 
customed to the way would hardly know where to 
leave this frozen stream. Two young ladies of our 
party tried to cross at another time without a guide, 
and one of them got up on a hill of ice so steep that 
she was unable to get down. Her companion had to 
return to the hotel and procure a guide, who cut 
steps in the ice by which she was able to descend from 
her lofty and isolated position. After leaving the 
glacier proper we piclc our way along the lateral mo- 
raine for about two miles to a point where the garcon 
has taken the mules. The guides point out the spot 
where a Russian woman only the day before was 
found dead. She had crossed the glacier success- 
fully and was walking along the giant cliff to get a 
nearer view of a waterfall, some three hundred feet 
high, and in so doing she slipped and fell over the 
precipice, striking on the rocks below. 

We descend a part of the way along the "Mauvais 
Pas" cut in the side of the rocks, which was once a 
formidable undertaking, but is now bereft of ex- 
treme danger by having an iron rod on the side, to 
which the traveller can cling. 

After we reach the valley it is four miles to Cha- 
monix, and we decide to give up our mules and go 
back by train. 

That afternoon we visit a grotto in the Bossons 
Glacier, another and smaller ice stream flowing down 
the sides of Mt. Blanc. 

At Chamonix we take the mountain railway to 
Martigny and thence proceed to Visp, through a 
region where high peaks rise far above us. The rack 
and pinion line from Visp to Zermatt follows the 
river through a winding valley. The peasants' houses, 
situated high above the rushing stream, look as if 
they might tumble down the precipitous banks ; their 



SUNRISE ON THE RIGI 231 

roofs are covered with large, flat stones, some of them 
more than two feet square. In an hour and a half 
we reach Zermatt which is snugly ensconced in a 
basin around which rise high mountains. Directly 
in front of us, as we enter the town, is the mother of 
them all, the Matterhorn, towering 14,705 f^^t far 
into the blue sky which seems all the bluer because of 
the contrast with the snow. 

The Corner Grat is just east of the Matterhorn, 
and is reached by an electric road, five and one-half 
miles in length. We get one of the finest views in 
Switzerland from this railway which crosses the Fin- 
denen Valley on a viaduct 197 feet above the river. 
At first there is an abundance of trees, larch and 
pine, but at the height of 7,000 feet only scrubby 
stone pines are found. At this altitude there seems 
to be a belt of wild flowers, violets and a large lemon 
colored flower which resembles in shape a wild rose. 

The spring has been a late one, and the snow, in 
places, is above the roof of the car and, occasionally, 
icicles are seen hanging from the edge of the snow. 
When we reach the Corner Crat (9,908 feet) all 
vegetation has ceased, and we are above the Corner 
Clacier. Just opposite us is the Matterhorn, which 
towers supremely grand, like a queen of the moun- 
tains:— 

"Where the Alpine summits rise. 
Height o'er height stupendous hurl'd; 
Like the pillars of the skies, 
Like the ramparts of the world." 

From Lake Ceneva there is an electric railroad to 
Spiez which winds along precipices and over gorges 
at a height of 3,000 feet. This line affords easy ac- 
cess to the lakes of Thun and Brienz between which 
is situated Interlaken, one of the most attractive vil- 
lages in Switzerland. It commands a fine view of the 



232 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

Jungfrau, and there are various funicular railroads 
leading up to different mountains in the vicinity, but 
the one which we select is the road that goes up to 
the glaciers of the Jungfrau. 

In taking this trip we leave Interlaken at nine 
o'clock in the morning, going for a distance of eight 
miles through the Lauterbrunnen valley. The steep 
mountain walls on either side, with here and there 
a waterfall breaking into mist from the precipitous 
heights, remind us greatly of the Yosemite Valley, 
and the Staubbach 700 feet high, coming down 

"In clouds of spray, 
Like silver dust" 

is very like the Bridal Veil. 

Near the end of this valley are the Trummelbach 
Falls which are fed by the water from the glaciers 
of the Jungfrau. 

High above this valley is Murren, one of the most 
frequented places in the Bernese Oberland, and with 
a fine view, as it is situated nearly a mile high. One of 
the greatest feats of modern engineering is the road 
going up into the Jungfrau. We begin this ascent of 
the Wengern Alps in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, 
early in the morning and reach Scheidegg (7,600 
feet) at half past ten o'clock. Here we have a good 
view of the Jungfrau above us with its dazzling 
shroud of eternal snow, while below are pastures con- 
taining herds of cattle that have been driven up here 
to remain during the summer, and the tinkling of 
their bells comes distinctly to our ears in the clear, 
crisp air. It is beginning to be quite cold and we are 
glad when we are told at this place to change to cars 
that are entirely closed. The next stopping place is 
tne Eiger Glacier which is accessible, and on whose 
shining surface people are taking sled rides in the 
middle of August. Farther on the road skirts the 



SUNRISE ON THE RIGI 233 

cliffs and we enter the tunnel of the Jungfrau line 
proper. This road, when fully completed, will go 
nearly to the very summit of the Jungfrau with 
which it will be connected by an elevator 244 feet 
high. For nine miles it is wholly within a tunnel, 
inside of the mountain, apd we realize that we are 
ascending. 

The first stop is called Eigerwand, where an open- 
ing has been cut out of the rock, thereby affording 
a magnificent view of Lake Thun and a large part of 
Northern Switzerland. At Eismeer (10,345 feet) 
we find the largest of the rock stations. The stone 
has been excavated so as to build a refreshment and 
waiting room in which the passengers can warm 
themselves and get dinner, while outside is a balcony 
from which a wonderful panorama breaks into view. 
We gaze over a multitude of mountains and valleys, 
while at our feet lies the Eismeer Glacier, which 
looks as if no one could cross it, but some even scale 
the peaks of ice by means of ropes and picks. The 
rarity of the air at this altitude is felt by many, and 
it is also evident from the manner in which all the 
ink escapes from our fountain pens. 

After a stay of an hour we begin the descent which 
is made on the other side of the mountain, after we 
pass the station of Scheidegg. Thus we get a view 
of the Wetterhorn and other gigantic peaks as well 
as the glaciers extending down their slopes. We 
reach Interlakcn at six o'clock, having been gone ten 
hours, all of which were full of sights and scenes 
never to be forgotten. 

One of the finest passes in Switzerland is that of 
St. Gothard. After the railroad leaves Lucerne it 
passes along the base of the Rigi, and skirts the lake 
as far as Fluelen where we follow the valley of the 
Reuss River which rushes down through a gorge 
hemmed in with lofty and precipitous sides. We 



234 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

go through tunnels excavated in projecting cliffs and 
high mountains. In several places the ascent is made 
by means of loop tunnels, where the road turns back 
upon itself once and sometimes twice, within the solid 
rock. At Wasen we can look down upon two lines 
of railroad over which we have passed. The St. 
Gothard Tunnel, nine miles in length, is one of the 
longest that penetrates the Alps, and one of the old- 
est, having been built in 1872-80, at a cost of ten 
million dollars. We pass through it in seventeen 
minutes, and experience no difficulty from bad air 
or smoke. 

On the Italian side we go down the Valley of the 
Ticino, making four loops in the descent, and see- 
ing tracks above and below us, so complete are the 
windings of the road. 

After a day's ride of over 256 miles we sleep well 
at Lugano, picturesquely situated at the foot of a 
mountain. The next morning we proceed to Chias- 
so where our baggage is examined, this being a 
frontier town. 

Como has little to interest except the duomo with 
its statues of the elder and the younger Pliny, and 
the silk factories where they weave various kinds of 
silk on power loom, using Jacquard patterns. 

Lake Como is the finest of the Italian lakes, and is 
very beautiful with high hills on both sides which 
are dotted with villas and villages. The Villa Car- 
lotta is interesting, and contains some works by Ca- 
nova and Thorwaldsen. Bellaggio, situated at the 
junction of three parts or arms of the lake, is one of 
the most attractive towns in this Italian district. Veg- 
etation is everywhere luxuriant, and the mulberry 
trees have been stripped of their leaves, showing that 
the silk worms are raised in this locality. 

Visitors in the northern part of Switzerland do not 
realize how beautiful the southeastern portion is till 



SUNRISE ON THE RIGI 235 

they get into the Engadlne country of which St. Mo- 
ritz is the center. One of the prettiest passes from 
the west leading into this region is the Maloja Pass 
which follows the Bregaglia Valley. 

In taking the trip over this pass we stop at Hotel 
Helvetia for lunch and are detained there for over 
three hours on account of a land-slide that has ren- 
dered the road impassable. We succeed in getting 
through or over the debris which has been largely 
removed, but the workmen hold on to our voiture to 
prevent it from overturning. 

We follow the serpentine road up over the moun- 
tains and on past Lake Campfer to St. Moritz. This 
has become one of the most noted winter resorts in 
Switzerland in the last few years. The town is full 
of hotels to accommodate the thousands who come 
here, especially, to enjoy the wintei' sports. About 
a mile distant are mineral springs whose waters are 
used for drinking and bathing. 

The village commands a fine view of the moun- 
tains, while its delightful winter climate has made 
it a most attractive place. As it is summer, according 
to the calerMar, the winter sports are not in progress 
though we feel that it will be sometime before it is 
very warm here in this region. There is snow upon 
the ground and the nights are cold. One of the 
pleasures of St. Moritz is the delight and joy ex- 
perienced in reaching or leaving the place. One 
cannot think of this snow-girt mountain town with- 
out associating it with the Albula railroad which des- 
cends through the valley in the Upper Engadlne ; its 
lofty position, high on the mountain sides, and Its 
many windings render the views from It magnificent. 
We go through a spiral tunnel, where, by a cork- 
screw arrangement with one track going above the 
other, we ascend the mountain. 

There is one place from which we can see three 



236 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

tracks above, and one below that, over which 
we are riding. It is most interesting, as the train 
goes around in these mountain tunnels to have a lit- 
tle compass and see the needle make a complete rev- 
olution for each loop or circle that we make. At 
Solis we cross the Albula Gorge on a bridge with 
twelve arches which carry the track 275 feet above 
the torrent. Viaduct and tunnels follow each other 
so rapidly that in the next five miles we pass through 
fourteen of these great holes through the mountains. 
On we go down through this wild and picturesque 
valley where the fields are green and everything be- 
tokens the advent of summer. 

The late afternoon finds us at Schaf^hausen where 
we look upon the waters of the Rhine as they tumble 
and play in their wild freaks, producing the greatest 
waterfall in Europe. There are falls in Norway and 
elsewhere that are much higher, but none so wide, or 
containing so much water. For an hour in the even- 
ing they are illuminated consecutively with red, white 
and green lights, producing very pretty effects. We 
think that Americans are often disappointed in these 
falls, because they expect to find a Niagara here, but 
the Swiss do not pretend that they are equal to our 
falls, in being stupenduous and grand. 

Another pretty waterfall in Switzerland is the Gies- 
bach, which is composed of a series of seven cas- 
cades that pour down from a height of 1,000 feet 
into Lake Brienz, upon whose banks is situated the 
village of that name. 

This town and that of Meiringen are both inter- 
esting because in them is done so much of the beau- 
tiful wood-carving that one finds in Switzerland. 

At the latter place we take a coach for our ride 
over the Grimsel Pass which connects the valley of 
the Aare and that of the Rhone. The Swiss dili- 
gences which go over these passes have three dis- 



SUNRISE ON THE RIGI 237 

tinct parts, besides the driver's seat, — the coupe, im- 
mediately behind the driver, the landau in the mid- 
dle and entirely shut in, the banquette in the rear and 
higher up than the landau. At Meiringen the wa- 
ters of the Aare have worn a most fantastic gorge 
in the rocks nearly a mile long, and more than a hun- 
dred feet high. When we leave this place at one 
o'clock it is warm and comfortable and all vegeta- 
tion is green and beautiful, but as we ascend the 
valley it grows cooler, — the chalets are less numer- 
ous, the orchards and patches of grain less frequent, 
while above us we see banks of snow which have not 
succumbed to the heat of summer. 

But when we reach the Grimsel Hospice (6,116 
feet) it is snowing and is very cold. Near here is 
the Lake of the Dead, so called because of the bloody 
battles which occurred there in 1799 between the 
French and the Austrians. The ascent now grows 
more precipitous, all vegetation ceases, not a tree is 
to be seen, and we are above the line of permanent 
snow. As we approach the summit the snow is deep 
and they have had to shovel it out of the road which 
fills so rapidly that men are now engaged in keeping 
the path open till our coach can get through. As we 
begin to descend on the south side we find ourselves 
fast leaving the impeded roads and within half an 
hour we are below the snow line. The roads are 
fine, the horses are hungry and cold and they go at a 
breakneck pace which seems to the nervous some- 
what dangerous, as it is very dark, and the coach 
swings around the turns of the five zigzags which 
flank the mountains. At nine o'clock we reach 
Gletsch situated at the end of the Rhone Glacier, 
having crossed the Pass, twenty-three miles, in nine 
hours. 

Here a log fire and a warm dinner await us, both 
of which are very acceptable. The next morning we 



238 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

continue our journey to Brigue down the Furka Pass, 
through the Valley of the Rhone. This descent is 
made by another series of zigzags which are marvels 
of engineering skill. 

This is a very fertile valley and the peasants, men 
and women, are busy cutting the rye and preparing 
the soil for another crop. The women, many of 
whom look old and aged even in their youth, are 
hoeing, mowing and carrying baskets on their backs 
full of hay, grain, fertilizers, and whatever else it 
is necessary to convey. We see few draught animals 
of any kind, the steep declivities of the mountain sides 
probably render them useless, and the women seem to 
be the burden-bearers. 

After a rest at Brigue we start on our journey 
over the Simplon Pass. Some of the party prefer 
the shorter route to Italy, and so go through the 
tunnel which has been recently completed. This tun- 
nel of twelve miles is the longest in the world and 
shortens the distance between Milan and Calais by 
about lOO miles. As we journey over the Simplon in 
a very unique vehicle for two persons drawn by a 
horse, we follow the road constructed by Napoleon 
I., after the famous battle of Marengo. The scenery 
becomes wilder and grander at every turn. Bridge 
after bridge is crossed, gallery after gallery, cut out 
of the overhanging rock so as to avert an avalanche, 
is gone through, and houses of refuge are passed, 
and then comes the stupendous panorama of the Alps 
we are leaving behind us, the real grandeur of which 
words cannot describe. After five hours we reach 
the hotel near the summit and here do we halt for 
the night. It is cold, since the Simplon Glacier is 
near us, but here, as at the Gletsch, copper, hot wa- 
ter bottles are furnished us and we sleep well till we 
are called to see the sun rise over the snow-capped 
peaks, 



SUNRISE ON THE RIGI 239 

At eight o'clock we begin our descent into Italy. 
Only a half mile from the hotel is the Simplon hos- 
pice, where pious Augustine monks live and render 
assistance to travellers when the snows of winter 
have buried the road. Passing through long tunnels 
we enter the gorge of the Gondo through which the 
boiling waters of the Fressinore rush over the rocks 
down to the valley below. More cascades, more fear- 
ful ravines, more lofty crags and then Gondo, the 
last Swiss village is reached. On either side rise 
rocks more than 2,000 feet in height, the whole 
forming a picture of great sublimity. At Iselle we 
take a train which emerges from the mountain, and 
after two hours we find ourselves at Lake Maggiore 
where we spend the night. It hardly seems possible 
that a day's ride could have brought us to a place 
contrasting so greatly with the one where we were 
twelve hours ago. 

The luxuriant vegetation, palms, flowers and fruits, 
and even the very air we breathe remind us of south- 
ern California, but strange voices in a foreign tongue 
awaken us, the delusion is gone, and we reahze that 
it is Italy indeed. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

Oberammergau After Thirty Years 

HOW much more the world knows about 
this little hamlet, far up in the Bavarian 
Mountains, and how differently it has 
come to regard the play, which has 
made this place so famous, — such are the thoughts 
that come to one who revisits the town after an ab- 
sence of three decades. 

When the question of our seeing the play, in 1880, 
was suggested, we hesitated about going, for we felt 
that it would be sacrilegious to even witness such a 
representation given on Sunday, but our friends as- 
sured us that the presentation of this play was a 
labor of love and an act of devotion to God, so we 
were persuaded. 

At that time the village of Oberammergau was 
far removed from the noise and bustle of the great 
world, and required a long day's journey to reach it. 
Leaving Munich at six o'clock on the morning of 
the day before the play, the first sight which at- 
tracted our attention was a gang of women, working 
with pickaxe and shovel upon the railroad track. 
Probably this unsightly sight would have produced 
a deeper impression, had we not already seen 
women carrying hods of brick and mortar up dizzy 
heights to the scaffolds of buildings in the city we 
had just left behind us. 

Our train was a long one, requiring two engines, 
and ran very slowly, only about ten miles an hour, 
which enabled us to see the beauties of the country 
through which we were passing, chief of which is 

240 



AFTER THIRTY YEARS 241 

Lake Starnberg. "Schon Starnberg" does the Ger- 
man exclaim when he catches a glimpse of its bright 
waters, and "Schon Starnberg" does he again say 
when he bids it adieu for the glories of the beckon- 
ing snow-covered mountains. 

At Murnau, the terminus of the railroad, we took 
carriages for our ride of fifteen miles up into the 
mountains. 

Soon the long line of the Tyrolese Alps burst 
suddenly into view, — snow-capped peaks and gla- 
ciers, all glowing in the sunlight of that mid-summer 
afternoon. On and on we rode through well culti- 
vated fields and in the midst of red-tiled villages, 
past wayside shrines before which many a weary 
traveler was pausing to lisp a prayer and pay his 
homage. 

The road at this season was animated for one, or 
even two days before each presentation, by the num- 
ber and variety of the vehicles and the peculiar cos- 
tumes of the foot-travelers. There were fine car- 
riages containing princes and others of royal blood", 
their postilions decked in silver, with cords thrown 
over their shoulders, from which were suspended 
horns; hay carts with boards aittached to the sides 
for seats; and one-horse vehicles of every descrip- 
tion, so overloaded that the feet of some of their oc- 
cupants could be seen dangling behind. But the most 
interesting of all were the very poor people who had 
walked several days' journey. They came In families, 
or groups, two women to one man, and they brought 
only black bread with them to eat. They would 
sleep on the hay in some barn, or on the ground, or 
anywhere that they could find a rest for their heads, 
and after two days of this they would return to their 
homes, rejoicing and thankful for the rest of their 
lives. 

As we approach our destination, rising majestical- 



242 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

ly before us are peaks of mountains six thousand 
feet high. In going over the pass and up the as- 
cents we walk at times, while a pair of horses drag 
up the empty carriage. 

But the heights once gained we stand in full view 
of a scene of surprising grandeur. Through the 
valley flows the River Ammer, while, near by, rises 
Mt. Kofel, the recognized guardian of this hamlet. 
In 1873 when the villagers were asked to present 
their play in Vienna they said that they would come 
if they could take with them their village and the 
mighty Kofel. And now, as the last rays of the 
setting sun tinge the distant peaks, a Mannerchor 
has climbed up there to sing chorals which can be 
heard in the valley below. 

As we enter the village we ask the driver, beside 
whom we are sitting, "Wo ist das Theater?" and he 
rephes, "Da, da, Fraulein," pointing to a barn-like 
structure. As we gaze upon this rough building we 
cannot imagine anything that can be given within of 
sufficient importance to attract the hundreds who 
are already filling the narrow streets and lanes of 
this little village. 

There are only two small inns so the most of the 
people, the majority of whom are Germans,— find 
shelter in the homes of the natives. The place 
which we supposed had been secured for us, has 
been taken by others and, for awhile, we do not 
know where we will rest our heads. In the mean- 
time, while lodgings are being found, we go to the 
home of Joseph Mayer, who is to take the part of 
the Christus, but find that a princess with her suite 
is occupying his home. As we gaze upon the low 
ceiling, bare walls, well worn floor and the general 
rudeness of the whole we conclude that her royal 
highness never before occupied such humble apart- 
ments. About eleven o'clock places have been 



AFTER THIRTY YEARS 243 

found for us, our party of four being divided. 
Soon after my friend and myself have entered the 
house where we are to stay, the good old Frau, with 
candle in hand, ascends a ladder, and motions for us 
to follow, which we do with considerable wonder- 
ment as to where we are going. We have wished 
to have a better knowledge of the peasant life of 
Germany than the average traveller obtains, and 
now we feel that our wishes are being gratified. The 
room which we occupied was very small and con- 
tained for furniture a porcelain stove, reaching 
nearly to the ceiling, one chair, and a bed whose 
clothing consisted of one sheet, and for covering 
there was the inevitable feather bed whose thickness 
exceeded anything in that line which we had hitherto 
seen. 

It was long past midnight before the sound of 
the drivers' whips ceased beneath our window. 
But determined that no daybeam of our stay in this 
truly remarkable town should be squandered we 
hastened down at five o'clock and a peculiar sight 
presented itself; from every highway and by-way 
the peasantry were pouring into the village, all clad 
in their brightest robes and wearing ample bouquets 
of flowers. The mountaineers were conspicuous 
with their bunches of Edelweiss, which these sons 
of the forest had ascended high mountains to gather. 
Multitudes stood about the booths where sausages 
and holy pictures were sold indiscriminately. 

A band led the way to the church whither so many 
were going to attend the early service. Children 
appeared upon the streets in the same costumes 
which they were to wear later at the church, and for 
a time the streets presented the appearance of a 
grand masquerade. No stranger sights and no more 
varied costumes could have been seen upon the 
streets of Jerusalem, two thousand years ago than 



244 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

were to be seen in this little Jerusalem of the moun- 
tain. As Helen Hunt, writing of the play at that 
time, said: "Being on the village streets was like 
being on an opera stage a mile square and crowded 
from corner to corner." 

Before seven o'clock every door of the theatre 
was besieged by the throng who had no reserved 
seats. As we were hurrying along we suddenly 
caught sight of a man, who, we all said, must be 
Joseph Mayer. While no physical type can cor- 
rectly represent our Saviour still we all have in mind 
pictures of Him as painted by the Old Masters, and 
so correctly did this man's face resemble those pic- 
tures that there was no mistaking the likeness. 

The Oberammergau Theatre of that day present- 
ed nothing so remarkable in its architecture as its 
simplicity. It consisted of a huge wooden shed large 
enough to cover the heads of four thousand people, 
with a few seats in the rear which were raised much 
higher than the rest and were reserved, as they were 
mostly occupied by foreigners. The spectator saw 
before him a stage with four distinct places for ac- 
tion. The proscenium, where most of the playing 
took place; the central, or covered portion, where 
the tableaux vivants were presented; the streets of 
Jerusalem where the processions appeared; the 
house of Annas; and the house of Caiaphas. The 
Passion Play had then a double prelude, one of pray- 
er and one of nature. If the curtain of the central 
stage could have been removed, the heart of many 
an indifferent spectator would have been filled with 
surprise, for there were assembled the whole five 
hundred actors, who, with their village pastor, en- 
gaged in prayer. This was the unseen prelude; there 
was also the prelude of nature. So little did the thea- 
tre roof obstruct the view that the eye, wandering 
far beyond the confines of the stage, dwelt upon the 



AFTER THIRTY YEARS 245 

green, sun-bathed landscape of the valley, while from 
the distant hillside the tinkling of the cow bells came 
distinctly to our ears. When the birds flew over 
they cast the fluttering shadows of their wings on 
the fronts of Annas' and Caiaphas' houses as natur- 
ally as did the Judean sparrows two thousand years 
ago. 

This closeness of nature, as seen then, was an ac- 
cessory of inimitable effect, and we are sure there 
was more than one person who felt nearer to the 
unseen world while listening to the music of the 
Passion Play than at any other time of his life. 

Thus the visitor to Oberammergau, thirty years 
ago came to the village, and found himself witness- 
ing a play which in subject matter and method of 
presentation has changed but little during three dec- 
ades, while the town is far different from what it 
was at that time. 

We will now briefly tell of our visit in 19 10, 
showing how much nearer the outside world the lit- 
tle hamlet has grown because of railroads and bet- 
ter highways, and how the village has become really 
a modern town. 

In going to Oberammergau in 19 10 we decide that 
the journey thither shall be taken through the heart 
of Southern Bavaria from Innsbruck, that quaint, 
old town which has figured so conspicuously in Aus- 
trian history. A ride of one day in diligence and 
auto brings us up through the Bavarian Tyrol to 
Partenkirchen, where we spend two days, enjoying 
the beauties of the surrounding mountains. Late in 
the afternoon of the Friday, before the play is given, 
we take an auto which carries us in an hour up to 
this mountain shrine, whither so many are already 
wending their way, although it has not been a month 
since the people of this hamlet gave the first repre- 
sentation of the Passion Play for 19 10. 



246 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

There have been indications all the way from 
Innsbruck that this was the year of the great play. 
Roads were in fine condition; houses were bright 
with fresh paint; flowers decked the window sills 
and everything betokened a general spring cleaning 
in anticipation of the crowds who would pass this 
way. 

One railroad has been built to the town itself, 
and another was extended to Oberau, where autos 
and diligences connect with this village, so that now 
the visitor can come to Oberammergau in two hours 
from Munich, whereas thirty years ago, a whole day 
was required for the journey, showing how very ac- 
cessible the village has become. 

Ten years ago autos were prohibited in this town, 
but now a large garage on the outskirts exhibits a 
sign which informs people that two hundred autos 
can be accommodated within the spacious building. 

The influx of visitors has produced a great change 
in the village itself. Its picturesqueness and me- 
dieval character have disappeared and to-day we 
find a modern town with paved streets, sidewalks, 
electric lights, sewerage system, houses fitted with 
bath rooms and every convenience needed. 

Some new hotels and dwellings have been built, 
and additions have been made to the old houses 
where, formerly, there was simply a living room 
with its low wooden-framed ceiling, shelves gleam- 
ing with rows of mugs and plates, while underneath 
hung the copper pans and kettles that were made to 
shine as the setting sun. These are the Penates of 
the German Hausfrau and fortunate is that visitor 
who makes her acquaintance within these surround- 
ings. On sunny days this Mutter has hung from the 
windows across the narrow balconies, the huge, 
square feather pillows that she will place on the 
beds of the summer visitors, whose heads will be 



AFTER THIRTY YEARS 247 

buried deep in the downy mass when they would 
fain rest on a nearer approach to the level. Sunning 
near by are the puffy feather beds, {Oberhetten) 
which are destined to cover many a perspiring 
American; like the sausages too full to turn under 
and too short to cover feet which will be left to stick 
out in the cold, and touch the foot-board of a Ger- 
man bedstead whose economical dimensions are the 
continual wonder of the European traveler. 

The frescoes on the houses have been brightened 
somewhat. The originals were painted there by the 
grandfather of Johann Zwink, the present Judas, 
who is also a painter. He is the father of Ottile 
Zwink, who takes the part of Mary. During a con- 
versation with them, we asked if they would be will- 
ing to be photographed; she had on her gingham 
apron, but they stepped out of doors and, after the 
camera had been snapped, we offered him some com- 
pensation, which he politely refused. We also found 
little "Tony" Lang, son of Anton Lang, who takes 
the part of the Christus this year, and the ass, or 
donkey, that the latter rides in the procession enter- 
ing Jerusalem, and took their pictures. 

Some have thought that this people would become 
imbued with a commercial spirit which would finally 
cause their play to degenerate. 

Has the Passion Play come to be a mere money- 
making scheme? is a question which we have heard 
asked by those who have not seen it. But we think 
this query is easily answered by consulting the rec- 
ord of receipts for different years, and this shows 
that, until within one hundred years, there was a 
deficit to be met every ten years. 

Sixty years ago each actor received thirty-four 
dollars. In 1900 the principal performers obtained 
$375 each for the fort^^seven performances of that 
season. This amount, coming only once In ten years, 
could not conduce to any great prosperity among the 



248 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

ten or twelve who received this sum. 

Each householder entertains visitors, but the 
amount charged is not exorbitant when we remem- 
ber that little or no foodstuffs are raised in Oberam- 
mergau on account of the high altitude, so that 
everything must be shipped from a distance. 

The people have tried to improve their village 
and furnish suitable accommodations for the thou- 
sands who visit the Passion Spiel, and to do this 
they have incurred liabilities amounting to two mil- 
lion marks for 19 lo. They have taken risks and as- 
sumed responsibilities that require close calculation 
to meet. 

We believe that the play is given with the same 
spirit of reverence and devotion that characterized 
the first representation in 1720. But the Oberam- 
mergauer is human, and it is most natural that he 
should come to look upon the play not only as a 
religious performance, but as a means of revenue, 
whereby he can add to the material advantages that 
accrue to himself and his village. 

The pleasure which this people take in their voca- 
tion as wood carvers was well shown by a conversa- 
tion that a visitor had with one of them. This ques- 
tion was asked, "If you had all this world's goods 
that you could desire, and no material wants to sup- 
ply, what of all things would you prefer to do?" 

With the look of happiness upon his face he an- 
swered, "If I had everything the world could give I 
should still be a wood carver, and find my greatest 
happiness here at my bench. If I could not carve I 
should be most miserable, for of all the things I love 
to do, the first on the list is to sit here, before this 
window, where I can occasionally glance up, and 
look out upon Mt. Kofel, and this beautiful view, 
and work at my wood carving. 

"The next thing I love best is to act in a play. 



AFTER THIRTY YEARS 249 

The third in my catalogue of joys is the long walks 
I am accustomed to take, especially in winter, when, 
in a big, warm coat, I can tramp through the valley, 
or with my snow shoes go skiing over these moun- 
tains, fairly drinking in the cold, crisp air till my 
whole body is tingling. 

"After this the fourth thing I love most to do is 
to eat; finally the fifth is to sleep. As to traveling 
and seeing the world, that is unnecessary, for it is 
good enough here at home, besides — he laughed as 
he said it — all the world comes to us. As for our 
every day needs I can make enough with my carving 
for the Httle we eat and wear, and what else is 
there? The rest I can easily do without." 

Perhaps this reasoning may not seem strictly 
philosophical and reasonable to every one, yet it 
brought perfect contentment to this man_ whose 
whole life was a living epitome of what he wished. 

In the narrow winding streets, no two of which 
are parallel, there are hundreds of people pouring 
into the village every Saturday. So great are the 
crowds that the performance on the twenty-ninth 
of May was repeated the following Monday and 
Tuesday, the first time it has ever been given three 
days in succession, and the theatre was full every 
time, except at the last performance. 

Dame Fashion has invaded these mountain fast- 
nesses, and we find the peasants no longer wearing 
costumes similar to those which we saw^ thirty years 
ago; the native men are hardly distinguishable from 
the English-speaking visitors; the women are sel- 
dom seen in the quaint clothing of other days; and 
the maidens are no longer clad in stiff quilted scar- 
let skirts and black bodices ornamented with huge 
silver buttons, which had been the pride and glory 
of their great-grandmothers. There are several ho- 
tels in the town, but many of the visitors, as they 



250 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

arrive, go to the homes of Peter, John or others in 
the play, as all actors are called by their stage names 
during the season of the Passion Spiel. 

Every one in the village, except the married wo- 
men, has something to do with the play. The chil- 
dren, boys and girls, are in the processions and tab- 
leaux. There are sixty-five speaking parts, as they 
arc called, and these are given usually to those who 
have had some prominent part before. 

As a preparation for the play, the bells in the old 
church tower call to morning prayer at five o'clock, 
just as they always have done. 

An hour later we find the church crowded to the 
vestibule, while the worshiping actors, on bended 
knees are praying for the blessings of God upon 
themselves and the play about to begin, which is 
to fill the Sabbath day. 

They kneel there, men, women and children with 
nothing to distinguish them from other inhabitants 
of Bavarian villages, except the long hair of the 
men and boys, and something solemn and dignified 
in their bearing, and the expression of their faces. 
There are carvers, potters, bakers, carpenters, shoe- 
makers, woodsmen, day laborers, road cleaners and 
their sisters and daughters. The strains of the or- 
gan, and the rich voices of the choir add to the 
solemnity of the occasion. 

Outside in the little churchyard sleeps Herr 
Daisenberger, who was the village pastor for many 
years, and to whom they owe the present admirable 
form of the play. We also see the grave of Rochus 
Daedler, the schoolmaster who, in 1820, composed 
the music for the play. He was a man of almost 
inspired nature, and wrote by night and with great 
rapidity. When about to begin writing the music 
for the play, he called his wife and children, and 



AFTER THIRTY YEARS 251 

bade them kneel in a circle around him, and pray 
that he might write suitable music, and it is indeed 
worthy of the play for which it is at once the ex- 
pression and the setting. One grave in particular 
we wish to see, and that is the spot where sleeps 
Joseph Mayer, the Christus- for 1870, 1880 and 
1890. We call on his son, Hans Mayer, the Herod 
for this year, and we tell him that we saw his father 
as Christus thirty years ago, and he is pleased that 
we should remember him so pleasantly, and invites 
us to see his wife and two children. 

They have built a large theatre with an iron 
frame, and 'closed sides, but open in front so that 
one can get a view of the green hills and blue skies. 
As we look over the audience to-day, there seem 
to be more foreigners than natives in the four thou- 
sand before us. 

The great cannon, planted near Mt, Kofel, an- 
nounces the moment of beginning the play, as it did 
thirty years ago. All is expectancy on the part of 
the audience, when the chorus, consisting of eighteen 
persons, appear, clad in beautiful garments, and by 
song and speech of the choragus, announce the 
scenes which are to follow. 

Each scene is preceded by a tableau representing 
some Old Testament event, which is supposed to be 
typical of the scene which is to follow. It is im- 
possible to describe the play, or the players. The 
whole is given in the light of day, with no footlights 
and no stage trickerj^ for producing effects that are 
a part of the modern theatre. The actors are not 
gotten up with rouge and powder and are dressed 
in costumes made with their own hands. 

It is the acting of these villagers that is the most 
remarkable. They seem, one and all to have been 
born to it, and each performs his part as though it 
were the most important in the play. In the scenes 



252 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

where many of them are on the stage a wonderfully 
natural effect is produced by the way In which they 
move and talk to one another, and are never stagey 
or stiff. 

Of the chief characters Anton Lang, who takes 
the part of the Christus this year, feels his part so 
deeply that he is beyond ordinary criticism, though 
the Germans acknowledge that he is not the equal 
of his predecessor, Joseph Mayer. 

Johann Zwink, who represents the Judas for the 
third time, having had that of the Apostle John in 
his youth, makes his thankless part one of the most 
remarkable in the play. No one who has seen his 
suspicious aloofness, his traitor's kiss, his remorse 
and final despair can ever forget them. 

The deep silence that falls upon the audience at 
different times, especially in the crucifixion, speak 
for its soul-stirring realism. As the rising curtain 
reveals the scene on Calvary, it becomes a represen- 
tation too deep for word painting — its life-likeness 
and terrible solemnity have never been exaggerated; 
the scene of the "three crosses in the noon-day light 
uplifted" is one producing the most inexpressible 
feelings in the mind of the spectator, — it is a scene 
never to be forgotten. As the afternoon shadows 
are lengthening and the Christus ascends slowly 
from Olivet, rising above those who kneel below 
him, the chorus withdraws from the stage, and the 
audience are left to ponder in regard to what they 
have seen during the long performance of eight 
hours. Prince and peasant alike leave the theatre, 
overcome with their thoughts, and visibly affected 
by the scenes which they have witnessed. 

But who has taught this people? 

We believe it is the pure enthusiasm of believ- 
ing minds and love of God that has inspired the vil- 
lagers in all their roles. Having once witnessed the 



AFTER THIRTY YEARS 253 

Passion Play the visitor no longer looks upon it as 
an interesting relic of the distant past, but as the 
most remarkable histrionic representation of our 
era, and the perfection of the religious drama. 

The power of the play lies in its naturalness; it 
is real sunshine that gleams upon the armor; it is 
real wind that blows the wings of the angels; and 
the birds fly in and out as though nothing were hap- 
pening. Those who take part speak in their own 
language, and act in their own way. Take the play 
out of its natural setting among the hills, and put 
it upon a modern stage, and it would degenerate at 
once into sacrilege, but given as it is, in all the 
strength and beauty of its surroundings, by those 
who do it as a labor of love, it becomes a religious 
ceremony, embodying the most powerful represen- 
tation of the life of our Lord that the world has 
ever seen. 

That night, as we sat late at our window ponder- 
ing the import of what we had seen, a flush of the 
gloaming rested upon the snow of the distant moun- 
tains,— an afterglow of a day that could never re- 
turn. It seemed to us, as we witnessed it the first time, 
more especially, as if it were a day spent nineteen 
hundred years ago, and we saw Christ descended 
to earth once more, preaching amid the sunny hills 
and vales of Judea, and living over those sad, yet 
glorious events among the people who misunder- 
stood, persecuted, and pushed out of earthly exist- 
ence that liffe in whose sacrifice is hidden the mys- 
tery of redemption and reconciliation. It lingers in 
our memory as something well nigh supernatural. 

May the Passion Play pilgrim of future cen- 
turies, like those of the present, say, on leaving the 
Valley of the Ammer; 



254 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

"Praise be to God who hath this vale created 
To show to man the glory of His name, 
And these high hills the Lord hath consecrated, 
Where He His love eternal may proclaim." 



CHAPTER XXIV 

ROTHENBURG, THE QuAINTEST ToWN IN GERMANY 

IF there is anything which gives joy to the 
traveller it is to have his expectations com- 
pletely fulfilled This little wall-girt town of 
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the most perfectly 
preserved relic of the German medieval town, has 
the rare gift of satisfying the exceedingly fastidi- 
ous. 

An old stone wall in perfect repair completely 
engirds the little city; while red-tiled, gabled roofs, 
dormer windows, secret passages, old arched gate- 
ways and projecting upper stories all do their share 
in deluding the outsider into thinking that he is 
looking at pictures of the days that are gone. Af- 
ter becoming thoroughly imbued with the spirit of 
the place we awake with a start to remember that 
we belong to that cold-blooded, tourist class who are 
there to see for a few days only, and then must pass 
on to other scenes. 

Rothenburg is unlike most medieval towns 
which preserved their freedom through the protec- 
tion of a powerful prince dwelling in a castle high 
above the city. But by their own courage, wisdom., 
and strength have the inhabitants maintained their 
independence for one thpusand years. The sturdy, 
and yet law-abiding atrriosphere of the town, free 
from that oppressive rule of militarism seen in Prus- 
sia, stands as a witness that the people of Rothen- 
burg of to-day have lost nothing of those qualities 
which made the city in olden days the Mecca of 
warriors, diplomats, artists, and tradesmen. We 

255 



256 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

seldom see policemen on the streets and never sol- 
diers, who are usually so numerous in German 
towns. 

In the ninth century Pharamond, king of the East 
Franks, founded the first stronghold, and in 1280 
its walls were extended to the present limits. The 
great Burgermeister Toppler was living at this time, 
and under him the city reached its highest pros- 
perity. This unfortunate Burgermeister was later 
accused of conspiring with the emperor, and was 
starved to death in one of the Rathaus dungeons. 

The city became a powerful factor in all the po- 
litical combinations of the time. The court yards 
were filled with serving-men who waited upon the 
high-bom ladies living in the patrician houses, or 
upon the knights fighting their tournaments in the 
fair valley of the Tauber. During the fifteenth cen- 
tury, and again at the time of the Reformation, when 
the Rothenburgers championed the new faith, the 
town was in continual strife. 

In 1 66 1, during the Thirty Years War, the citi- 
zens were proud, capable, and well-trained in arms, 
so that Tilly felt he could not leave such a strong 
base of supplies for the Swedes in the vicinity. Af- 
ter thirty hours of hard fighting when each step was 
fiercely contested, the town was finally forced to 
capitulate. The Swedish soldiers of Gustavus Adol- 
phus were allowed to withdraw from their garrison, 
but the town was not to escape so easily. TiUy, 
surrounded by his generals, sat in the Rathaus and 
sent for the senate which came, headed by Burger- 
meister Bezold, to hear its condemnation of death. 
The Burgermeister himself was sent to bring the 
executioner, while the daughter of the cellarer 
brought delicious wine for the enemy to drink in 
hopes of softening his harsh disposition. Suddenly 
Tilly, struck by the size of the glass, which held thir- 




A LAPP FAMILY 



QUAINTEST TOWN IN GERMANY 257 

teen Bavarian schoppen (about three quarts) ex- 
claimed in a sort of grim humor, "I will show mercy, 
on this condition, that one of you empty the full cup 
at one draught." The senate was struck dumb at the 
proposition but presently Nusch, the son of a tav- 
ern-keeper, and probably accustomed to big drinks, 
came forward and offered to try. Slowly the liquid 
disappeared until the last drop was gone, and the 
fainting Burgermeister had only enough strength 
left to hand the glass to Tilly and stammer out, 
"Thy promise." "It shall be faithfully kept," re- 
plied the general. Later, when Nusch had partial- 
ly recovered, he grimly remarked, "I could never 
save another town." 

Each year at Whitsuntide this historical drama 
"Der Meister Trunk" is enacted in the council 
chamber of the Rathaus, and thousands come from 
all part of Europe to view the festival. The real 
cup is still kept and shown to the tourist on his 
visit to the Rathaus. Just opposite this building 
there is a clock-tower where, by some mechanical 
device, when the hour of noon is struck, a window 
opens and a figure representing Nusch slowly drinks 
from a glass before the general Tilly. 

The Rathaus, the center of so many historical 
events, stands in the middle of the town. This 
building, of huge and dignified proportions, is a cur- 
ious commingling of Gothic and Renaissance styles 
with a decided German stamp. Here are old paint- 
ings of long-forgotten battles, the iron coffers form- 
erly containing the city's treasure, grim records of 
the dungeons, parchments brittle with age, and fast- 
ened with padlocks, documents containing the con- 
fessions of criminals made under torture, or of 
robber knights brought to judgment, all these and 
other things contribute to make the old city hall a 
store-house of unlimited wealth and interest. Be- 



25! 



OUR YEAR ABROAD 



low are the damp dungeons, dripping with mois- 
ture, and among them the one in which Burger- 
meister Toppler was starved to death, though his 
friends tunnelled desperately through the walls to 
try to rescue their beloved leader, but only to find 
him dead. Above is the watch-tower from which 
an old white-haired watchman keeps ceaseless vigil. 
Eight times an hour during the night and four 




Door of the Rathaus 



times each hour in the day he scans the town in 
search of possible fire just as his predecessors have 
done for hundreds of years. 

In front of the Rathaus is the splendid fountain 
of St. George and the dragon; to the south stands 
the famous tavern "The Bar," where a club of art- 
ists assembles and gives plays each winter, for Roth- 
enburg is an artistic as well as a musical center. No- 
where in Germany is the architecture in better keep- 



QUAINTEST TOWN IN GERMANY 259 

ing, and we discovered that this was so from design 
and not from mere chance, when someone told us 
that there was a city law which allowed only red- 
tiled roofs because all the old ones were made of 
that material, and no jarring sights such as newly- 
made patches of shingles were desired. 

Jacob's Kirche (the church behind the fountain), 
belongs to the fourteenth century and is particularly 
interesting for its charming old stained glass. The 
Francis-bauer Kirche is the oldest and most attrac- 
tive, dating back to the founding of the town. 
But to the traveller, with only a short time at his 
disposal, it is more profitable to pass the hours wan- 
dering about the streets where he can never go 
wrong, as everything is fascinating and full of in- 
terest, and leave the churches until he is in some 
other place where they are of greater beauty and 
more importance. 

We revel in picturesque architecture, whichever 
street we traverse. The houses are usually of wood 
and from four to six stories in height with red-tiled, 
long gabled roofs, steeping the city in color, while 
the doorways and fronts are often elaborately and 
artistically carved and decorated in intricate de- 
signs. Behind these old patrician houses, and 
through some sagging, stone-arched gateways, we 
catch glimpses of shaded little gardens with ferns 
in one corner and a cozy tea-table set under an over- 
hanging tree. Everything is made of stones and 
everything sags until there is not a straight line to 
be found, much to the delight of the artist's eye. 
The little shops are full of copper, wood, and leather 
utensils, and furnish a continual source of delight to 
the eager collector of curiosities. 

We can easily follow along the wall, which encir- 
cles the little city of seventy-nine hundred inhabitants 
without a break, excepting a gateway, in three- 



26o OUR YEAR ABROAD 

quarters of an hour. The wall Is dotted with curi- 
ously shaped towers, and strongly bastloned gates 
lead to the drawbridges spanning the moat. We 
look down upon the charming little city nestled so 
snugly at our feet with its bristling turrets and 
watch-towers and cannot help wondering at the con- 
trast of its warlike aspect with the peaceful green 
valley outside the wall, stretching into the distance 
where the clear waters of the Tauber slowly flow. 

Until the last few years Rothenburg has been 
comparatively unknown to the ordinary tourist, but 
since it has been "discovered" it is becoming a fast 
Increasing point of Interest for the American travel- 
ler who enthusiastically claims that it "out-Nurem- 
bergs Nuremberg." 



CHAPTER XXV 
The Land of the Midnight Sun 

LEAVING Hamburg by boat early one 
morning we reach Stavanger the next af- 
ternoon, and soon begin to see something 
of the beauties of the Scandinavian Penin- 
sula. 

Norway is certainly the "land of fjord, field and 
foss," and thousands of people come here annually 
to view its bays, mountains and waterfalls. The 
greater fjords are long arms of the sea reaching a 
hundred miles into the very heart of Scandinavia, 
while the small fjords branch like fingers from the 
main waterways. Formerly these fjords were sup- 
posed to have been produced by the contraction and 
expansion of the earth's crust. W^ithin the last ten 
years it has been definitely proven that these great 
fjords, as well as those in Alaska, were formed by 
glacial action. During the ages a glacier in each 
one gradually ground down and wore away the 
earth and rocks till a great valley was excavated, 
and into this rushed the waters of the ocean. The 
most picturesque fjords are usually the most remote 
from the sea, and are often not more than half a 
mile wide, and are enclosed within precipitous 
mountain walls, whose bases are green with fringes 
of fir and elder, while their tops are white with the 
never melting snow.- At the head of each fjord are 
rich alluvial lands, watered by glacier streams, and 
rendered picturesque by the red-tiled farm houses, 
which stand out in bold relief against the sombre 
green of the forests. Many of the bams and small- 

261 



262 OUR YEAR ABROAD ' 

er dwellings are built of hewed logs, covered with 
boards on the outside, and thatched with birch bark 
and sod, in which grow tall grass and bright colored 
wild flowers. 

It is han-est time, and men and women are busy 
in the hay field. The season is rainy and the grass 
must be hung on wire fences to dry. Handful by 
handful the grass is placed on the wires, only to be 
taken down in a day or t\^-o, shaken out and put 
back again: so that by the time it is stored in the 
barns the farmer has earned his crop. The grass is 
carefully cut from every nook and cranny; even from 
the high hilltops, where the bundles of hay must be 
slid down on taut wires, hundreds of feet, to the 
fjords below, and from little islands, inaccessible to 
wagons, the farmer conveys home his crop in barges. 
They will gather bundles of green leaves on the 
mountains which they slide down these wires, and 
the winter's supply of wood is often obtained in this 
manner. In the agricultural districts of Scandinavia 
one sees a curious combination in the use of uten- 
sils, some belonging to the last century", and others 
to modem times. In the same field they will be 
using a wheel-barrow, made by hand, for hauling 
the grass which has been cut by an American mow- 
ing-machine of the latest pattern, and raked by an 
automatic horse-rake; while just over the wall a 
neighbor is working with a scythe not much larger 
than a sickle. 

The Hardanger Fjord is the largest and most 
southern, and has the greatest variety of scenery of 
any fjord on the coast. Its banks contain arable 
land, which is well cultivated. Its winding bays, 
high promontories, glistening glaciers, foaming 
fosses, and natives, attired in quaint costume, form 
a picture which one can never forget. Many of the 
houses are painted red, white and yellow, which ren- 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 263 

der them conspicuous objects in the landscape. The 
dresses of the natives are gorgeous in color.^ The 
young women, on Sunday, are resplendent in red 
and green bodices, blue or black skirts, bordered 
with bright velvet. 

At the waist she may wear a belt of beads, clasp- 
ed with a silver buckle which has been the pride and 
glory of her maternal ancestor. The girls arrange 
their hair in two long braids down the back, and 
have a Httle cap, while the matrons have winged 
head-dresses of white cambric, which is rolled over 
a wooden frame, and made to fit the head very 
closely. 

In order to see the country remote from the 
water ways, one should travel inland by carriage for 
a distance, or across the regions dividing the fjords. 
The favorite kind of vehicle is the stolkjaerre, or 
two-wheeled cart which has a seat for two persons 
in front, and one in the rear for the driver. A trav- 
eler can engage the owner to take him on a journey 
of several days, or he can hire one at each of the 
"skyds-sfeations," where he may stop, to take him to 
the next one. In every such tavern is this conspic- 
uous sign: "Vaer god mod hasten," which means, 
"Be good to your horse," and the Norwegians cer- 
tainly follow this precept. The man who took us 
from Gudvangen up to the mountain on which Stahl- 
heim in situated, was named Ole Gudvangen. In 
Norway it is not uncommon for the people to take 
their last name from the hamlets in which they were 
born. He called his horse "Snowdig" from one in 
possession of the German Emperor, whom he had 
carried twice up through this valley. 

One of our most delightful rides is from Visnaes, 
at the end of the Nord Fjord. Landing here from 
our boat we take a stolkjaerre for a ride of two 
days to Merok, on the Geiranger Fjord, a distance 



264 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

of eighty-four miles. We secure Abraham Skaare 
as our driver on this occasion, and he lives in a 
small hamlet of that name, through which we pass. 
His English is quite good, because he has been in 
Minnesota five years. We ask him if he prefers the 
prairies of our great West to these snow-covered 
peaks, and he replies, "I likes this," pointing to the 
superb view of water-fall and mountain, glacier and 
gorge that one gets in the Viderdal. 

On this trip we visit a saeter, or dairy farm, pe- 
culiar to Norway, — a sort of ranch, far up on the 
mountain whither a farmer and his family, or a part 
of it, have come with their herds, to find pasturage 
for the cattle. Years ago it was customary for the 
pilgrimage up to these summer homes to be made 
on St. John's day, June twenty-fourth, and the return 
would take place about the middle of September. 
While here they make butter and cheese which are 
carried down to the village and sold. Imagine our 
surprise at finding in this place a McCormick sep- 
arator, used for dividing the milk from the cream. 

As we wind back and forth up through this valley, 
the snow becomes more abundant, often being high- 
er than our heads as we ride along. Wooden poles, 
resembling those used for telephone wires, are 
placed at regular distances to indicate the location 
of the road in the winter or spring when no teams 
pass, but the people go on skis, or long snow skates. 

At Grotlid we spend the night in a real Alpine inn 
with wooden partitions. Among the rocks, in a field 
near by, a Finnlander and his family, so like the 
Lapps that we see no difference, have pitched a tent, 
while their herd of 500 reindeer find pasturage on 
the adjacent hillsides. 

The only houses on this road are those occupied 
by the men who keep the highway in repair, and in 
the fall they move down to the villages. 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 265 

On the way to Merok we pass a lake still frozen 
over, though it is the middle of July. The ride down 
the Geiranger valley is full of interest,— great 
water-falls come tumbling down the mountain side, 
and the water goes rushing through gorges, havmg 
frightful, abysmal depths. -r 1 . • 

The Geiranger Fjord is the most beautiful bit 
of scenery in Southern Norway, though it is only 
eleven miles long and 300 yards wide. Vertical 
walls rise on each side to the height of 5,000 feet, 
and their serrated summits are sharply reflected in 
the clear waters of the bay. From the tops of the 
high cliffs leap innumerable waterfalls, which seem 
to plunge from the very skies when the clouds hang 
low. The most beautiful is the "Seven Sisters,' 
which falls like so many silken threads of white 
against the dark green moss. The snow which feeds 
the streams above has melted, so that only three of 
the "Seven Sisters" are discernible from the vessel, 
or, as a German passenger says: "Four of the 'Sis- 
ters' have married and moved away for the sum- 
mer." The Brude Slur, or bridal veil, near the 
"Sisters," descends "like a veil from the sky line of 
the high cliff, and spreads its streamers over the 
face of the mountain wall." When the slanting 
sunbeams send a rainbow dancing in its spray, we 
think of its namesake in the Yosemite, and note a 
similarity between our own beautiful valley and this 
lovely Geiranger waterway. Perched on the preci- 
pitous mountain sides are little farms, which are ap- 
proached by tortuous paths. The story is told of 
a fisherman— whose house could only be reached by 
a ladder— that, safe in his eyrie, he refused to pay 
his taxes, and when pursued by the sheriff he drew 
up his ladder, and successfully defied the law. 
When the storms of winter have made these trails 
slippery with ice and snow, the dead cannot be 



266 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

brought down for burial in the cemeteries in the val- 
leys, and in summer the children, as well as the ani- 
mals, have to be tied to trees to keep them from 
falling over the cliffs. 

The thirty miles of shores of the Sogne Fjord 
present a lonesome aspect, without farms or vil- 
lages, almost devoid of vegetation, as the shaly na- 
ture of the rock, combined with the frequent land- 
slides, prevents grass and trees from getting a foot- 
hold. Through the fjords of this district came 
many of the great Vikings, who overran England, 
and from these mountains, in medieval times, pow- 
erful nobles defied the king and the whole of his 
army. 

In the hollow of the hills, at the end of the Nord 
Fjord, are three little lakes, fed by the great Joste- 
dalsbrae Glacier, the largest icefield in Europe, and 
every tourist visits one of its numerous branches. 
As we approach the glacier, the great masses of 
ice, which had appeared so smooth and white in the 
distance, prove to be of the deepest blue in the 
crevasses, while its face is covered with stones. 
Some of the fearless members of our party, despite 
the warnings of the guides, explore the depths of 
a great cove of ice at the end of the glacier, and re- 
port that it is a most beautiful sight. For our part, 
we prefer to view the rocks which cover the floor 
of the valley, and contemplate what our fate would 
be if a great boulder should come rolling down the 
mountain side in our direction. Four years ago an 
avalanche of stone and dirt fell into the Loenband, 
completely wrecking a steamer and killing sixty peo- 
ple. 

The Molde Fjord is not considered as beauti- 
ful as some of its more southern neighbors, but the 
snow-capped mountains and the invigorating air 
make the town a favorite summer resort for the 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 267 

Norwegians. This "City of Roses," though situ- 
ated in the same latitude as St. Petersburg, is full of 
the flowers which have given it the name, while 
honeysuckle and poppies are very abundant. 

In this old town we find a reproduction of a silver 
communion spoon commonly used several centuries 
ago by the inhabitants. It is about six inches long 
with a bowl three inches wide and having a hinge 
where it joins the handle. After using it the owner 
would fold it up and carry it away in his pocket. 
This was done so that, in case of a plague or epi- 
demic, there would be no danger from having a 
common drinking cup. This device, used probably 
two hundred years ago, is an interesting precursor 
of the Individual communion cup of the present day. 
This people may not have known much about bac- 
teria in those days, but they certainly had some 
Ideas about the danger of contracting disease. 

Though we see only one shower In Norway, dur- 
ing our stay, yet this Is a most uncommon summer 
and usually on the Romsdal Fjord the traveler en- 
joys true "westland weather," as the Scandinavians 
call it, that peculiar combination of sunshine, show- 
ers and rainbows, which is at the same time the joy 
and despair of every traveler. One moment the 
waters of the fjord sparkle in the sunlight, while 
white, fleecy clouds drift over the towering moun- 
tains; a moment later the rain descends, the sea 
grows dark and sullen, while over all the thick, black 
clouds have gathered, and veil the beauties of the 
landscape. They say that just as a person gets 
damp enough to be miserable, then the rain ceases, 
a gleam of sunshine comes slanting through the 
grayness, and a brilliant rainbow spans the eastern 
sky. One lady told us that she encountered seven 
showers In one afternoon, and saw nine distinct rain- 
bows; she then concluded that the "bow of promise" 



268 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

which Noah saw could not have been of the Nor- 
wegian type. It is customary when children are 
confirmed to present them umbrellas as a necessary 
equipmenjt for their life's journey, but the young 
people must cherish them as treasures too precious 
for use, because people say that they never see a na- 
tive carrying an umbrella, no matter how hard it 
may be raining. 

The sun shines all day as we drive. up the Roms- 
dal Valley, through a narrow gorge, with the moun- 
tains towering hundreds of feet on either side. The 
snow still lies in the sheltered places on the hill- 
sides, though it is so warm we need no outside 
wraps. In one place the gorge is choked with the 
mass of dirt and rock, which, loosened by the sharp 
frosts of winter, has slid down the mountain side, 
carrying destruction in its pathway. Before us the 
Romsdalhorn thrusts its sharp point into the azure 
blue, and near it stretches the Troldtindern, wher,e 
the wild elves are wont to gambol. On the other 
side the King, Queen, Bishops and Castles stand in 
brave array, though we look in vain for the humbler 
knights and pawns. 

Another pleasant day we spend on the Sor Fjord, 
where thrifty homesteads remind us of New Eng- 
land farms, while the ranges of towering mountains, 
whitened with recent snows, recall the glory of the 
Swiss Alps. Our steamer stops at the prosperous 
little hamlets to take on board passengers and 
freight. At one place they lift a young colt from 
the wharf to the deck of the steamer, and again they 
raise a baby carriage, containing the little one, while 
the mother ascends the gang plank. Small children, 
with bouquets of wild flowers, come aboard at the 
landing places, but are too timid to raise their eyes 
from the floor, much less to offer their wares for 
sale. In a small cove, an old man in a rowboat tows 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 269 

a few logs alongside our vessel and strong hands 
put them up on to the deck. Here Is the same ex- 
hibition of primitive methods which we have noted 
in other parts of the country. 

The Norwegian mind is sometimes slow to grasp 
the importance of the inventions which his brother 
from America has introduced, preferring to spend 
half an hour in hauHng timber on board by hand, 
when the donkey engine would accomplish the work 
in ten minutes. 

Although these fjords have many common char- 
acteristics, yet each possesses its own peculiar attrac- 
tion. 

Who can describe this beauty? What words 
can adequately convey any idea of their loveliness? 
Every traveler, from Bayard Taylor to the rhapso- 
dist of last season, has gone into ecstacies over the 
glory of the mountain heights, but one must stand 
in their presence and view the mighty glaciers and 
gauze-like water-falls to feel the majesty and might 
of the power which created these wonders. As we 
stand for the last time between the towering cliffs, 
and see the sun sink behind the serrated rocks — its 
last golden glow caught by the snow-capped peaks, 
we verily think that we are in a land of enchantment. 

In great contrast to the country of Norway are the 
cities, and one of the most attractive is Bergen, with 
its broad streets, and business-like air. If we were 
to select a city in this far North for a permanent 
abode we would choose this, the second city in this 
country in size and importance, and the first, until 
about the middle of the last century, when Chris- 
tiania began to extend her commerce. Its harbor is 
full of vessels of all kinds, varying in size from a 
fishing smack to the merchant marine. Fish con- 
stitutes the chief article of trade in Bergen, and its 
exportation is something enormous; in cod alone 



270 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

seven million dollars' worth Is sold annually. The 
old fish market stands on the German quay, and 
here one finds Innumerable tubs, containing the live 
article, for the customers do not like to buy their 
fish after they are dead. The dealer will scoop out 
the fish by means of a net attached to a handle, 
strike It on the head with something hard to kill It, 
and then will wrap it In paper, and give it to his pur- 
chaser. Bergen was the center of the fish industry 
as early as the thirteenth century, and exported this 
commodity to all parts of Europe, to supply the 
place of meat on the numerous fast days prescribed 
by the Roman Catholic Church. This flourishing 
trade aroused the jealousy of the German mer- 
chants, and thither came the great Hanseatic 
League, which, at one time, controlled nearly all the 
commerce In Europe, — extending from Bergen on 
the North to Venice on the South, and from Nov- 
gorod to London. By methods, not unknown to the 
great American trusts of to-day, it sought to enrich 
Its members at the expense of weaker concerns. The 
weights used by this League for purchasing fish 
were much lighter than those which they would put 
on their scales for selling commodities, but their 
righteous intentions were inscribed on the first page 
of each ledger, where were written the words, "In 
the name of Jesus." The power of the League In- 
creased till It controlled the industries as well as the 
commerce of the cities In which It did business. In- 
deed, It dictated to kings, and dethroned them when 
they would not accede to Its demands. 

During the sixteenth century a force of 3,000 
Germans was employed In Bergen. All these Han- 
seatic employes lived along the wharf In a series of 
communal houses, called "gaards." In one of these 
original dwellings, still preserved as a museum, and 
fitted up with the old Hanseatic furniture, one may 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 27 1 

get a good idea of the life of those times. On the 
ground floor are the counting rooms of the firm, 
and the little oflice where the head merchant would 
drink a glass of schnapps with his customer. The 
second story contained the sleeping rooms of the 
merchant and his clerks. The beds were built into 
the wall, and when the door was shut in front of 
them, they were enclosed in a box, into which not a 
particle of fresh air could enter. A large stone 
basin under a hanging brass kettle of water invited 
the inmates to their morning ablutions, while four 
wicks in the corners of trays holding oil and sus- 
pended from the ceiling, furnished light during the 
long winter evenings. In the park, near the Bergen 
museum, stand some Runic stones, inscribed with old 
Norse characters which are legible only to the 
archeologist. These inscriptions were chiselled by 
the hand of half clvihzed man before the use of iron 
was known, and at a time when all northern Europe 
was inhabited by savages, and before Caesar had 
brought the first spark of Eastern culture to the 
British Isles. The old pagan churches which may 
still be seen in some parts of Scandinavia belong to 
a later age. In these dark-timbered structures, 
which resemble Chinese pagodas more than relig- 
ious buildings, rams were offered as a sacrifice to 
Thor and Wodin. 

The Hanseatic merchants heard divine service in 
the old Maria Kirke, which still stands in all the 
massive beauty of the Romanesque style of the fif- 
teenth century. The altar-piece Is a statue of a Ma- 
donna, standing on a crescent moon, surrounded by 
the twelve apostles, carved with all the grotesque 
imagery of the medieval mind. Near this church 
is the old royal castle, with its strong walls and Im- 
mense towers. Polltlcar prisoners were thrown into 
dungeons, located deep down under the Rosen- 



272 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

krantz Tower, where the hght of day never entered, 
and there they dragged out an existence worse than 
death itself, while in the banqueting hall, the king 
and his court danced on polished floors, and drank 
the night away under the eyes of grinning gargoyles. 

Bergen is old, but in age it cannot compare with 
Trondhjem, which has had continuous existence for 
a thousand years. It was the home of the old Nor- 
wegian kings, and at the present time a king must 
come here to be crowned. The old fortress com- 
mands a fine view of the harbor, and the island fort- 
ress where Peter Suffenfeldt was confined for twenty 
years. The cathedral is built of blue slate, with 
finely carved decorations. One-half of the outside 
is covered with boards, as it is being restored, and 
this is often the case with these old temples. But 
this town has little interest for us, compared with 
our anticipations, as we here board the "Kong 
Harold" for our trip to the Land of the Midnight 
Sun. 

Generally the tourist does not go farther north 
than Trondhjem, being satisfied with the beauty and 
grandeur of what he has already seen of fjord and 
mountain, and being unwilling to take the long voy- 
age, and then suffer the disappointment of having 
the midnight sun veiled in fog or mist as is very apt 
to be the case. 

But should this happen the places of interest vis- 
ited on shore, and the unsurpassed scenery of the 
coast, would well repay one for the trip. There are 
many who come here each summer, as is seen by the 
ten different nationalities represented among our 
passengers. Though the entire voyage requires 
about a week, yet it does not seem long, for we 
leave the boat each day and visit some place of in- 
terest. The course of the steamer is such that, 
much of the time, we are in an archipelago, so that 







THRESHING AND SIFTING BARLEY: SPAIN 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 273 

the water is comparatively quiet. When we cross 
the Arctic Circle a cannon is fired, and now we 
really begin to feel that we are in the far North. 
Yet our remoteness from civilization is rendered 
less apparent by the fact that a wireless telegraph 
station has just been established in this Nordland, 
and the announcement of our steamer's arrival is 
the first message sent to the American press. Surely, 
"the world do move." The general aspect of the 
scenery in this locality is more rugged and impres- 
sive than in southern Norway, the snow-capped 
mountains are higher and the glaciers larger, and 
more numerous. 

The Loffoden Islands form a chain 130 miles 
long, and produce, with the picturesque mountains 
and fjords, the finest scenery to be found on the 
Norway coast. These islands in winter are the 
scene of great activity, because that season is the 
harvest time for the Norwegian fishermen. Twenty- 
five thousand people are engaged in fishing in this 
locality every winter, and, as a result of their labors, 
they can show twenty millions of cod, — a respecta- 
ble catch when we remember that it is all done by 
the light of the stars and the aurora borealis, since 
night in this region as completely rules the winter as 
day does the summer. 

When we sail away to the northward, it grows 
colder, vegetation lessens and one wonders how any- 
thing can be raised on these bleak shores in such 
short summers, though people seem to be living 
wherever there is an available spot of ground. Po- 
tatoes, oats, and rye grow as far north as Tromsoe, 
but fishing forms the chief source of income for the 
inhabitants. 

One morning we visit the Raftsund, where Em- 
peror William goes each summer. Another day we 
enter the Troll Fjord, where there is just barely 



274 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

room for the steamer to pass between the sheer 
faces of the rocks, which extend upward for hun- 
dreds of feet on both sides, — all covered with snow 
and capped with ice. The boat stops and allows 
us to land and see, close at hand, the Svartisen gla- 
cier, which is the largest one in Europe that extends 
to the sea. 

At Tromsoe the Laplanders come down to our 
vessel, while in the Lyngen Fjord we go ashore and 
visit their encampment. Clad in their fur garments 
they are somewhat attractive, but a glance into their 
huts shows that they know nothing of sanitation, 
and how can they be expected to live hygienically 
when they never change their clothing till it is worn 
out? 

They have winter and summer abodes, the for- 
mer being made of sod, placed in layers upon a 
framework of branches, so that the whole resembles 
in form and color, a huge wasp's nest. The summer 
houses are simply skin tents, like the Indian tepees, 
and are much to be preferred to the sod houses, be- 
cause the air circulates through them more freely. 
They possess a herd of reindeer, some white and 
some brown. The horns of these animals, at this 
season, are covered with fur, and their coats look 
very much moth eaten. We never realized before 
that the antlers are shed every year; they are so 
large and branching that it does not seem as if they 
could attain such size in that length of time. 

We visit Hammerfest with much interest. It is 
the most northern town in Europe and is enveloped 
in darkness for three months in the year, yet it lies 
ensconced on the banks of a bay sheltered by the 
hills which protect it from the icy blasts of winter. 
The effect of the Gulf Stream is felt even here and 
its climate is milder than that of Christiania, the 
bay remaining free from ice all through the long 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 275 

winter. The people of this locality are generally 
Lutherans and we attend that church service here 
In Hammerfest. On the seat with us sit two Lapps 
from a neighboring encampment. 

In this city we find a meridian shaft or monument, 
erected by the Norwegian, Swedish, and Russian 
governments, to show the number of degrees be- 
tween this spot and the mouth of the Danube. 

Even before reaching this city of the North we 




A Lapp's Tent 

have experienced an indescribable feeling in having 
night turned into day, and In being able to read and 
write at night. In a certain sense it Is somewhat 
trying because one never has any particular hour for 
retiring, and it seems perfectly in accord with the 
nature of things to sit up all night. This town is the 
headquarters of the fishermen, and in this vicinity 
many tons of fish are caught during the year. It 
seems strange that men will be willing to brave the 
perils of these Arctic waters for wages amounting to 
not more than one hundred and fifty or two hundred 
dollars a year. 

As we approach Nordcap all are wondering 
whether conditions will be favorable for seeing this 
remarkable phenomenon that is to be the final object 
of our long voyage. At this time of the year, the 
first week in July, there are five opportunities for 
seeing the midnight sun — two before you reach 
North Cape, one at that point, and twice on the re- 



^^6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

turn. North Cape is, Itself, a rocky promontory, 
about i,ooo feet in height, and situated on an island 
which is the most northerly of all those that belong 
to Norway. From a distance can be seen the monu- 
ment erected on its summit in commemoration of 
King Oscar's visit in 1873. When we reach the 
North Cape it is hardly possible to realize that 
nothing but water, snow and ice separate us from 
the Pole, which has been the goal of so many navi- 
gators. 

Soon our ship comes to anchor and those who 
wish are taken in rowboats to the foot of this head- 
land that they may get a view of the midnight sun 
from the very top. The climb requires about an 
hour and a half, and is somewhat difficult, as the 
path zigzags up the almost perpendicular sides of 
the cliff, but here and there ropes have been fasten- 
ed to the rocks, and these prove of great assistance 
to the climber. It is quite warm and every one 
sheds coat and sweater and gives them to a small 
boy, who carries a pile as high as his head up to the 
top and down again for ten ore apiece, — about two 
and one-half cents. As the traveler reaches the sum- 
mit he is filled with inexpressible feelings, for he is 
told that he is 200 miles farther north than Behring 
Strait, and in about the same latitude as that in 
which Sir John Franklin perished in the ice. The 
North Cape is in the same latitude as Point Barrow, 
the extreme northern point of Alaska, viz. : 70 de- 
grees, 10 minutes, 40 seconds. 

The flag of Norway floats from the summit, and 
the German Emperor erected a cairn there upon the 
occasion of his visit in 1891 ; so pleased was he with 
the view that he repeats his visit nearly every year, 
when he comes yachting in these northern waters. 
An officer brings up letters of the passengers, and 
stamps them here, so that they can be properly mail- 



LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN 277 

ed from "the top of the world." 

In July quite a variety of wild flowers can be 
found upon this promontory, — daisies, buttercups, 
and the white saxifraga cotyledon that is the most 
hardy of all Norwegian plants; only mosses and 
lichens can rival it in the altitude which it attains. 

Rockets thrown from our ship notify us to be on 
our guard, as it is five minutes before the time the 
sun will "come to a standstill." Now slowly sink- 
ing, the apparently molten, quavering orb rests for 
a moment upon the horizon, then rises majestically, 
while the heavens are glowing with the most intense 
yellows and reds, whose reflection can be seen on 
distant glaciers and ice fields. If one could imagine 
several beautiful sunsets combined he might possibly 
gain some adequate conception of the beauty of the 
midnight sun as we saw it. 

Strange and weird does everything seem as the 
pink glow is thrown upon all the neighboring snow- 
capped peaks and rocky cliffs rising on every side. 
Loons and other water fowl fly overhead and add 
life to the scene, which is as bright as at the noon- 
tide hour. 

It is interesting to see how the strangeness and 
glory of the scene affect different people. The Ital- 
ians are the most emotional, and embrace each 
other, shouting and singing. An American exhibits 
his patriotism by waving his country's flag, while 
others sometimes sing their national songs and, 
amid the strangeness of the scene, the thoughts of 
all revert to their native land as they in turn, sing 
"The Star Spangled Banner," "God Save the King," 
the "Marseillaise," or the "Watch on che Rhine." 
As the Germans are In excess, the strains of their 
hymn are heard above all others. 

We wend our way down the sides of the cliff, and 
reach our ship in safety. Soon the prow Is turned 



278 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

southward and we look once more upon "the last of 
countless sunsets which had that day been following 
each other round the globe, and the first of countless 
sunrises which, hour after hour, in so many conti- 
nents, would wake to life again a sleeping world." 
As we take our departure we feel like reiterating 
the thoughts of a famous traveler, who said, as he 
looked upon this midnight sun: "I have seen many 
impressive sights in many lands, but nothing, until 
time for me shall be no more, can equal in solemnity 
the hour when, standing on this threshold of a con- 
tinent, and on the edge of this immeasurable sea, I 
waJtched, without one moment's interval of dark- 
ness, the Past transform itself into the Present, and 
Yesterday become To-day." 



CHAPTER XXVI 
On To Stockholm 

THE ride over the Bergenbahn, as the 
mountain railroad from Bergen across 
Norway to Christiania is called, is replete 
with interest. No other railroad in the 
world extends so great a distance above the tree 
line, yet its 178 snow-sheds and tunnels prevent us 
from seeing some of the glaciers and snow. 

The first part of the route lies along the banks of 
the picturesque Sogne Fjord, but gradually ascends 
toward the high, central tableland, between snow- 
covered mountains and over rushing torrents. We 
plunge from one tunnel to another, with only a mo- 
ment of daylight in which to catch glimpses of wild 
ravines and rocky mountains, till we finally emerge 
from the darkness of the Voss tunnel into a world 
of dazzling whiteness. At this height of nearly 
4,000 feet, the ice never melts from the lakes, nor 
the snow from the ground, but lies many feet deep 
on air sides, so that it has been necessary to protect 
the railroad track with a snow shed for many miles. 
The ten minute stop at Finse affords opportunity for 
a short walk in the crisp mountain air, and enables 
us to clear our eyes and lungs of the suffocating smoke 
which filled the cars, as we were passing through 
the sheds. The three engines, which puff and pant 
after their steep mountain climb, are designated as 
"huge" in the local time table, but all of them put 
together would not make one good Baldwin locomo- 
tive. The clang of the station bell gives Its warn- 
ing note, but the conductor, In his long Prince Al- 

279 



28o OUR YEAR ABROAD 

bert coat, takes his time about closing and locking 
the door of the baggage car. He answers, in half a 
dozen languages, the questions of various travellers, 
and blows his little dog whistle as a signal that he is 
ready to go. The engineer clambers aboard his loco- 
motive, sends forth a piercing shriek as his warning 
note and, after a few moments of waiting required 
by law, the grinding of the brakes and the creaking 
of the wheels annonuce that we are off once more, this 
time on our downward journey. This express train, 
like many other good things in Norway, takes its 
own time, and requires eleven hours to travel the 
three hundred miles from Bergen to Christiania. The 
Norwegian government has spent a tremendous 
amount of time and money on this road, and the 
most skilled engineers have been employed in its con- 
struction. 

The water approach to the capital of Norway is 
more interesting than that by which the railroad en- 
ters the city. Green islands dot the harbor, while 
behind the city rise mountains thousands of feet high. 
This old town is clean and neat, but shows few build- 
ings of architectural beauty. The royal palace is 
quite attractive, and there are three national mu- 
seums. 

Through the kindness of a friend, who is a teach- 
er in the University here, we are taken down the 
harbor to see the old Viking ship, which is soon to 
be placed in one of the University buildings. This 
old relic was found in a mound near the sea four- 
teen years ago. It had probably lain there over ten 
centuries, preserved in the hard, blue clay soil. In 
it were discovered some plates and drinking cups 
used by the Vikings. This ship also contained some 
bones, probably those of its captain, for in those 
days vessels were often used for funeral barges and 
were buried with the prow toward the sea, so that 



ON TO STOCKHOLM 281 

when Odin called the chief to life again he might be 
ready to start on another voyage. Strolling about 
the city we come to an excellent fruit and vegetable 
market with attractive flower stands. We find the 
lilacs in full bloom now, and the blossoms are more 
delicate in color and much heavier than we see in 
America. It is light here all night, so that one can 
easily read at midnight, but this continuous bright- 
ness is not conducive to sleep till one becomes ac- 
customed to it. They say that most of the time it is 
foggy or rainy, so that nearly every one carries an 
umbrella, even in the sunshine, because the changes 
in the weather are very rapid. In fact, so common a 
sight in the cities is an umbrella, that it is said a 
horse will shy if he sees a person without one. 

We visit the parliament, {Storthing) which is in 
session at present, and find it very interesting. They 
have only ose House, and it has 125 members, but 
when discussing important questions they divide mto 
two Houses of about fifty to seventy-five members 
respectively. Suffrage is universal, but the men ap- 
prove of it more generally than the women, strange 
as it may seen. We have talked with several about 
it, and some consider it a good thing for the coun- 
■ try, while others do not approve of it.* 

The schools are excellent, and education is com- 
pulsory from the age of six to fifteen. English and 
German are both required, and must be well taught, 
for so many of the people can speak these languages. 
Our maid in the hotel is German, so we get along 
quite well. We are learning Norwegian, more or 
less, and try to speak it a little every day. The 
language per se is not very difficult to grasp, but the 



*Since writing the above a woman has been elected to 
the Storthing, and has made her maiden speech before that 
body. 



282 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

pronunciation is simply jaw-breaking. Our Nor- 
wegian friends endeavor to teach us the language, 
but their efforts seem rather futile when we astonish 
the people at the dinner-table by saying the word for 
sweet-heart when we mean fork. Imagine the sur- 
prise of a lady, when we informed her that we had 
used sko creme on our face for sun-burn, — we were 
trying to say cold-cream, but instead used the word 
for shoe-blacking. 

In order to see something of the country life of 
the people in this part of Scandinavia, we spend ten 
days at Fredericksvaarn, a small fishing village on 
the Southern coast of Norway, 150 miles from 
Christiania, and reached by boat in eight hours. This 
town is much older than Christiania, and is an ideal 
place for rest and diversion. It is one of the most 
beautiful places we have ever seen, and if it were in 
America it would be overrun with tourists within a 
week. The country here is very picturesque. The 
harbor is dotted with rocks and islands, upon some 
of which are light-houses. Most of the natives are 
fishermen, and an occasional one has been to Amer- 
ica and can speak good English, while others have 
shipped before the mast and have seen something of 
other countries. They spend their time catching sal- 
mon, mackerel and lobsters, which are served up for 
our repast at the little hotel, three times a day, and 
we enjoy this diet greatly. The fish are very cheap; 
mackerel cost only about one dollar per hundred. 
Rye bread, with cheese, is a favorite kind of food, 
and one that is relished by foreigners when they be- 
come used to it. The cheese is made of goat's milk, 
and is cut in thin slices and laid upon the bread in 
place of butter. A favorite kind of dessert is clab- 
bered milk, which each person sprinkles with a layer 
of fine bread crumbs, followed by sugar. We man- 
age to consume ours by eating off the top, and then 



ON TO STOCKHOLM 283 

resprlnkling it with crumbs and sugar, but this pro- 
cess has to be repeated several times. House-keep- 
ing here must be a very simple matter, for servants 
are only paid three to four dollars per month. We 
sail in the morning and ride in the afternoon. The 
people are amazed to see us drive by ourselves in 
preference to hiring a driver, — one way costs as much 
as the other. Only the very poor people drive them- 
selves, and then seldom do the women handle the 
lines. Some things are very cheap, for instance, we 
pay only half a crown a day, thirteen and one-half 
cents, for the use of a rowboat. 

They tell us that we are the first American women 
who have visited this place, and we can believe It 
from the way the inhabitants stare at us, but they 
are very kind and seem glad to have us here. 

It is with feelings of bright anticipation that we 
alight from our sleeper, after a night's ride has 
brought us from Christiania to the city of Stockholm. 
As we note the many highways of water and the 
various lagoons, connecting the islands on which the 
city is built, we feel that it is rightly called the "Ven- 
ice of the North." It Is one of the most beautiful 
cities in Europe, as well as one of the most modern 
and up-to-date. Its imposing public buildings, fine 
streets, and well laid out parks whose beauties are 
enhanced by an abundance of flowers and statuary, 
render the city most attractive. 

The fact that this city has a telephone for every 
six Inhabitants, or 50,000, is an indication of Its com- 
mercial Importance and prosperity. Some of the 
names of the streets seem as unpronounceable as did 
many of those in Russian cities. One which especially 
puzzled our brains was Yxsmedsgatan, and we never 
did learn Its meaning, or how the natives did roll it 
off from their tongues. Of course there are far 
xnpre streets thaij In Venice, h\it the canals are MSed 



284 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

a great deal, as they often afford more direct com- 
munication between places than land routes do. The 
little boats used on them make regular trips, and 
the fare is about the same as on the street cars and, 
by this means, you can go within walking distance of 
almost any place in the old city for the small sum 
of two and one-half cents, — ten ore. 

In the summer the royal family live at Drottning- 
holm, some distance from the city, consequently vis- 
itors are admitted to the city palace. Its various 
rooms bespeak the taste and love of its occupants for 
home life. The study of the late King Oscar shows 
the room just as he left it, even to the arrangement 
of the articles on his writing-desk. 

The Dowager Queen's rooms are more comfort- 
able in appearance than are wont to be seen in royal 
abodes. She shows her domestic tastes in collections 
of pictures, books, and china. In her tea-room is a 
painting in oil of the little house in Nexio where 
Christine Nilsson was born. A pearl and ebony 
cradle, presented to King Oscar by the Sultan of 
Turkey, and the one in which the royal children were 
rocked, is still carefully preserved. 

Her collection of Sevres china is undoubtedly the 
most complete in existence. The story is told of a 
visit of King Oscar to Sevres some years ago when 
he looked over the best productions of that factory, 
and then inquired: "Is that all you can show in the 
kind of ware belonging to that period?" 

"Yes," said the official, "and there is only one 
man who has any more than we have here." 

"But I have over three hundred pieces of this va- 
riety," said the visitor. With a great deal of as- 
tonishment the exhibitor replied: "Excuse me, that 
cannot be possible, for no one can make such an 
assertion except the King of Sweden." 

"Well, I am the King of Sweden," Oscar replied 



ON TO STOCKHOLM 285 

very modestly. 

The people revere the memory of "good King 
Oscar" and his casket, in the Riddarholm Church, is 
often decorated with flowers, the gift of loving sub- 
jects to a much loved ruler. 

All the kings of Sweden for three hundred years 
have been buried in this old sanctuary which is most 
cold and uninviting in appearance, and here every 
Sunday morning all the nobility of the city attend 
service, and among the names of those interred in 
this church do we see those of Gustavus Adolphus, 
the hero of the Thirty Years War, Gustavus III. 
and IV, and all by the name of Charles who have 
been famous in Scandinavian history. 

The present king, Gustavus, is not the forceful 
man that his father was, but his reign has not 
been of sufficient length to determine how beneficial 
it will be. The reigning Queen is the second cousin 
of Kaiser Wilhelm, and the people seem to think that 
she is not adapting herself to Swedish customs, but 
is rather trying to introduce German ideas into their 
democratic court She is a sculptor of some merit, 
as some of the works of her hand in the art gal- 
lery of Stockholm testify. 

The Swedish government has placed great import- 
ance upon the education of the people, and has tried 
to make its system very general and far reaching. 
English is not spoken as commonly in this country as 
in Norway. The schoolhouses in Stockholm are 
equal to any in America, and one is equipped with 
baths, swimming-pool, gymnasium, and all modern 
appliances. Sweden has the smallest per cent, of 
illiteracy, and Norway and Denmark next in order 
of all European countries. The free public schools 
show an attendance of over ninety per cent, of the 
children of school age. In the country districts the 
salaries paid teachers are quite small, but Sweden has 



286 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

a system of pensioning teachers for age or disability. 

A public library in a town is said to be an index 
of the progress of the people, and if this is so, surely 
the people of Stockholm must be very progressive, 
for their library is most complete. It also contains 
some rare old manuscripts and priceless volumes, 
among which we find the Codex Aureus ( 600 A. D. ) , 
which was brought, together with the Codex Argen- 
teus (4th century) to Sweden from Prague by Gus- 
tavus Adolphus in 1648. The last named is kept in 
the library of the National University at Upsala, and 
is very valuable because it is about the only original 
manuscript existing that was written in the Gothic 
language, though both of these are considered valu- 
able acquisitions, because they are among the oldest 
versions of the Scriptures that have been brought to 
light. The Wittenberg Bible of 1586 is also in the 
library here, and another one of 1466, the Devil's 
Bible, as it is called, is very large and requires two 
men to lift it. This last is reckoned among the fa- 
mous books of the world and was written by a Ger- 
man monk who was condemned to death, but was 
told that the sentence would not be executed if he 
would copy the entire Bible in one night. He per- 
formed the task and the people said the Evil One 
assisted him, or he could not have done it. 

There is also a Swedish book of 1281, and Ice- 
landic, Danish, and Norwegian manuscripts of the 
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. 

Just outside, in the park in which the library 
stands, is a statue of Linnaeus, the great botanist. 

The National Musem in Stockholm has a good ex- 
hibit of articles belonging to the prehistoric age; 
stone utensils, also implements made of bronze, gold, 
silver, and iron. There are fine tapestries, wood 
carvings, gold breast-plates, studded with precious 
stones, crowns, mitres, and vestments. The coUec- 



ON TO STOCKHOLM 287 

tion of paintings is fairly good; the Swedish and 
Netherland schools predominate, though there are 
some of the Old Masters represented. A portrait of 
Jenny Lind, playing on a piano, reminds us that this 
noted singer was a native of this country. 

The Northern Museum, situated in the suburbs, 
is the finest building of the kind that we have ever 
seen, and its collections are of the highest merit as 
showing a great deal that pertained to Sweden and 
the life of its people, in short, it is an epitome of 
Swedish history. 

At Skansen, near the great Northern Museum, we 
find a representation of rural Swedish life, in a park 
of forty acres, where all the natural beauties of rocks, 
hills and valleys have been retained. They have 
taken down in the country, houses of all kinds and 
had them set up here by the men who lived in them. 
Whole farmhouses, stables, storehouses, saeters, and 
other buildings reappear here with all their original 
furnishings. They are peopled by persons who dress 
and live as did their ancestors hundreds of years 
ago. The life of the people of Sweden is here seen, 
from that of the Lapp who comes from the frozen 
North with his tent and clothing of skin, his dogs 
and reindeer, to the peasant who brings all his ani- 
mals and wooden implements of agriculture. The 
women spin and weave as they do in the country to- 
day, and as their foremothers have done for ages. 
All kinds of animals that are found in Sweden live 
here as they would in their natural haunts. Several 
times during the week the peasants gather at sunset 
and dance the old folk dances to music produced on 
old fashioned instruments. One never tires of the 
attractions of Skansen which is the most unique 
historical exhibition that this practical century has 
produced in any land. 

Stockhdm is a city where one longs to tarry yet 



288 OUR YEAR ABROAD 



another day, so full of interest is it, and so delightful 
are its people. Even the little children are unusually 
courteous and pleasant mannered; in fact, every- 
thing is conducive to make the traveller's stay in this 
place one of continual joy and pleasure. 

There is no better way of seeing southern Sweden 
than by travelling on the Gotha Canal which con- 
nects Stockholm and Gottenburg. This waterway is 
a series of short canals connecting rivers and lakes. 
It was twenty-two years in the building, being fin- 
ished in 1822, and the whole is a marvellous example 



I 




of engineering skill. John Ericsson, the inventor of 
the screw propellor, worked on it as a surveyor, and 
when twelve years old, had charge of 600 men. 

When we reach Lake Vettern, our boat goes down 
to the city of Jonkoping where we disembark after a 
trip of thirty-six hours, during which we have passed 
through thirty-seven locks and risen 291 feet in go- 
ing a distance of 276 miles. The journey is a very 
pleasant one, the boat is comfortable, and the food 
of good quality. The country is most beautiful and 
full of historic interest. While the boat is going 
through the locks many times the passengers have an 
opportunity to visit the villages on the banks, and, if 
one has plenty of time no more ideal way of travel- 
ling can be imagined. 

We leave these "twin countries of the North," im- 
pressed with their scenic beauties, and with the peo- 
ple themselves, whose industry, honesty, education, 
and progressiveness along all lines, have placed them 
in the fore rank of the nations of the world. 




alcazar: SEVILLE 




TREASURY OF FERDINAND AND ISABELLA: GRANADA 



CHAPTER XXVI 

Copenhagen, Thorwaldsen and His Art 

IT IS with pleasure that the traveller comes to 
Denmark, the smallest of the three Scandinavian 
kingdoms, and sees what a people, within such 
a limited area, have done to make their name 
loved at home and respected abroad. 

This nation has played a very conspicuous part in 
connection with Norway and Sweden, and, in fact, 
we think of Denmark as having a hand in shaping in- 
directly the destinies of several world powers, be- 
cause the aged King Christian is rightly called the 
father-in-law of Europe. His oldest son, Frederick, 
married the daughter of the late King Oscar of 
Sweden. George, his second son, and the King of 
Greece, married the sister of Alexander III. of Rus- 
sia. Waldemar, the youngest son, married Marie, 
the daughter of the Duke of Orleans, pretender to 
the throne of France. Alexandra, the oldest daugh- 
ter, is the Queen Dowager of England, while Dag- 
mar, the second daughter, married Alexander III. of 
Russia, and is the Dowager Empress of that em- 
pire. The youngest daughter married the Duke of 
Cumberland. The grandson. Prince Charles became 
the husband of his cousin, the Princess Maud of 
England. Another grandson married the Princess 
Alexandrine of Germany, and the granddaughter 
Charlotte is the wife of Prince Carl of Sweden. Thus 
we can see that many of the European countries, 
through their rulers, are interested in the Danish 
kingdom. 

At the castle of Fredensborg, the summer home 
289 



290 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

of the King of Denmark, and twenty-seven miles 
from Copenhagen, these various potentates have a 
reunion or home-coming every year, and in 1897, 
when the late Queen Louise celebrated her eightieth 
birthday, thirty-seven of the members of the reign- 
ing families of Europe assembled here. And the 
country people in that locality love to recount the 
strange deeds of these royal notables, when they 
say they "acted just like conmion folks," as they 
enjoyed a gala season of three weeks in playing golf, 
tennis, and riding horseback. One day the present 
King of England and the Czar of Russia, had a very 
cousinly wrestling match. 

On another occasion the Dowager Empress of 
Russia, and the then Queen of England could be seen 
walking arm in arm under the old trees where they 
had played as children, and had been wooed and won 
in later years. 

Not very far away is the Island of Elsinore on 
which stands the Castle of Kronborg, where the trag- 
edy of Hamlet is said to have taken place. Probably 
the real Hamlet did live here, and Shakespeare took 
the plot of his play from a story written by a monk 
named Saxo-Grammaticus in 1204, and published in 
French in 1562. Ophelia does not appear in the 
story, but the imaginative guide will show you the 
place in the moat where she was drowned. Not far 
distant is a cairn of stones over the grave of Ham- 
let, while a rude shaft bears the inscription: 



Hamlet's Grav 



The old Cathedral of Roskilde, twenty miles from 
Copenhagen, holds the dust of the Danish kings. 



THORWALDSEN AND HIS ART 291 

Each year the royal family come out here, and spend 
a day. 

One of the pillars in the church shows marks, in- 
dicating the height of various crowned heads who 
have visited the spot, and among them are the names 
of King Edward of England, Peter the Great, Nich- 
olas, and Alexander III. 

The visitor is impressed with the well scrubbed 
streets of the Danish capital, the large squares, the 
fine buildings, and beautiful parks, shaded with trees 
whose size would indicate great age. 

Flowers are blossoming everywhere, and in such 
bright, gorgeous colors that it seems as if here, as 
in Norway and Sweden, they were trying to make 
the most of the short season. Nearly every window 
is full, and most of the houses have their small gar- 
den plots in front where bright nasturtiums and scar- 
let geraniums appear to rival each other in their ef- 
forts to attract the attention of the passer-by. 

The Danes have just cause to be proud of their 
capital, and have done their best to make it attrac- 
tive and beautiful by the erection of many fine, mod- 
ern buildings of which the Rathaus and Exchange are 
typical examples, and by laying out pretty promen- 
ades on the water fronts which present a brilliant 
spectacle on warm summer evenings when all classes, 
from the poorest workman to the gaily attired of- 
ficers, are out to take advantage of any cool breeze, 
or to get a drink in some cafe. 

The city has done honor to its great men by erect- 
ing a large number of statues. Among these is that 
of Hans Christian Andersen, seen in one of the parks 
where he used to gather the children and tell them 
stories ; perhaps the same tales that afterwards found 
their way out of his fertile brain into print, and de- 
lighted the children in thousands of homes in other 
lands. His last work was a poem entitled "Quiet- 



292 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

ude," the last three lines of which are as follows, 
showing the love he had for this city. 

"My home at home, where 'neath the alder tree. 
My life found sunshine, and my song soared free. 
I, grateful, happy, bring this lay to thee. 

"A floating, gay, illuminated town, 
But yet it is more beautiful within 
This happy home of hospitality." 




A Danish Milk-Cart 

And the government has shown its appreciation of 
history and art by making reproductions of well 
known pieces of sculpture relative to these subjects 
and beautifying the city with them. 

The Danes are trying in every way possible to 
glorify their past, and preserve the memory of all 
their great men, and this is being done in an orderly 
manner and with a due sense of historic values. This 
can be seen at Rosenberg Castle, built in 1610 by 
Christian IV. and used by him and his successors as 
a royal residence. This castle is situated in a park, 
which was at one time in the country, but the city 
has grown so that now this building stands about In 
the centre, and is used as a museum. 

Each room is filled with portraits, costumes, jewel- 
ry, furniture, porcelain, etc., all belonging to one 
certain period, and arranged chronologically in reg- 
ular historical order. Thus we find here represen- 
tations of the time of Christian IV., Frederick III., 



THORWALDSEN AND HIS ART 293 

Christian V. and other rulers, which is an excellent 
arrangement, as it plainly shows the development and 
growth from one century to the next. One of the 
most interesting exhibits is that of the jewelry. We 
see here that at the time of Christian IV, the precious 
stones are rough, uncut, and rudely set; during the 
reign of Frederick III. there is a great advance along 
artistic lines, especially concerning inlaid work; and 
in the reign of Frederick IV. the stones begin to be 
beautifully cut and set in artistic and prettily carved 
settings; during this period much Italian inlaid work 
is brought into the country together with Venetian 
glass and Florentine mosaic. The gradual improve- 
ment in portrait painting begins to be very pro- 
nounced. This castle has not been used as a resi- 
dence since early in the nineteenth century. 

The collection in the National Museum is of in- 
calculable value, and is also arranged in chronolog- 
ical order, and in the most favorable manner for 
study. This collection is rich in Danish relics, and 
one cannot leave it all without being impressed with 
the long, long ages of men living before us, and 
about whom the most of us know and think so lit- 
tle. Grains of wheat, found petrified in a rock and 
dating from 4000 B. C, tell us these people were 
even then progressive farmers, though their imple- 
ments were rough flint blades attached to wooden 
handles. 

In warfare they used flint arrow heads and dag- 
gers much like those of the American Indian. They 
hollowed out great trunks of trees for coffins and, 
after the body was placed inside, the two halves of 
the tree trunk were put together again. A number 
of these time-blackened trunks have been found 
buried in the ground. 

The Glyptothek is an art museum of which the 
Danes are justly proud. It is well lighted and with 



294 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

a court In the centre full of palms and rare exotics, 
the effect of the whole Is most pleasing. The sculp- 
ture here exhibited Is greatly superior to the paint- 
ings, which are comparatively few in number. The 
modern Scandinavian sculptors are well represented, 
and there are some good examples, along this line 
of art, by the French, Italians, and Germans. 

But the spot which to us is almost a shrine Is the 
grave of Bertel Thorwaldsen situated in the court- 
yard of the great building which contains so many 
of the works of this sculptor. 

It is claimed that the few who have become re- 
nowned in this world, have for the most part, some 
external circumstances working in their favor, with- 
out which they would apparently have been unknown. 
Washington might have cultivated his farm and 
measured the land of his neighbors without having 
his name handed down to posterity, had not the 
American Revolution called out his character, and 
exhibited his greatness to the nation. Though he 
sagaciously controlled the circumstances which sur- 
rounded him, yet we cannot but feel that it is to 
these circumstances that he, in a great part, owed his 
celebrity. 

But when a mind comes forth from the deepest 
obscurity, with every circumstance against It, with- 
out a single thing to aid it In coming into notice, 
and yet, breaking through all this and, by its own 
innate talent and energy, and its own unaided power, 
rising up and compelling notice, and throwing off the 
difficulties which destroy most men, we cannot but 
bestow our undivided admiration. It was thus with 
Bertel Thorwaldsen. There was, humanly speaking, 
no one circumstance which Indicated but that he must 
live and die in obscurity. 

Son of a poor Iceland carpenter and carver of 
figureheads for the prows of vessels; born amidst 



THORWALDSEN AND HIS ART 295 

poverty in 1770, and reared for the first decade of 
his life in a very humble home, with no one about 
him who could understand or appreciate his talent; 
with no hand to lift him up, and no voice which could 
call attention to him, he struggled and battled till he 
achieved a victory such as seldom comes to many ot 
the world's great artists. The scanty means of his 
parents did not permit them to do much for the boy, 
neither did their ambition run very high in that direc- 
tion. At eleven years of age he showed considerable 
skill in drawing so that his father allowed him to at- 
tend the Art Academy in Copenhagen. In the sec- 
ond year, 178 1, he was promoted to the second c ass 
for his proficiency in drawing. His father doubtless 
intended to educate the boy for the trade which he 
was following, because, when only thirteen years of 
age, he had to help his father carve figureheads tor 
ships, and, it is said that the little boy's skill was so 
great that he often improved his father's carvings. 

Later he was promoted to a class m modelling, 
and received a silver medal. His father now wanted 
him to stop studying, but the child was so imbued 
with the art that he could not cease, but continued to 
assist his father, outside of his hours at the Academy. 
His evenings were spent in study, often with three 
brother artists, and while they were reading sonie 
scientific treatise, he would write poetry, or model in 

clay or bread. , ., j 1 u 

Ten years after he had won the silver medal he 
thought he would try for a gold one, and met with 
his competitors, but his courage failed him and he 
tried to steal away down the back stairs, but one ot 
the teachers met him and besought him to return. 
He finally yielded to the request of his instructor, and 
went back and resumed his work which he completed 
in four hours. We can imagine his surprise when 
he heard that it was his piece which had secured the 



296 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

prize. 

Two years later he won a large gold medal for the 
bas-relief of "Peter healing a lame Man." A stipend 
went with this, enabling him to study abroad for 
three years. He decided to go to Rome and when 
he left, his mother became almost insane, and cried 
for her Bertel. 

After many experiences his vessel finally reached 
Naples and he proceeded to Rome, where he began 
to work earnestly from the ancient models. 

As is the case with most artists, success did not 
come to him immediately. He modelled a statue of 
Jason, but could not afford to have a cast made of 
it, so he broke it up. 

He was advised to remake the model, which he 
did, and was going to break it a second time when a 
wealthy lady gave him money to have it cast. Still 
he could not dispose of this statue, and, becoming 
greatly discouraged, he decided to go back to Den- 
mark. All arrangements had been made for his re- 
turn, even the carriage was at the door, when he 
was told that his passport was not duly made 
out, and he must wait till the morrow. On that very 
day a wealthy Englishman called and seeing the 
statue of Jason was so greatly pleased with it that he 
ordered it executed in marble, and for it he offered 
the sum of thirteen hundred dollars. This surprised 
and pleased Thorwaldsen so that he decided to re- 
main in Rome, and from that time he never lacked 
patronage, and produced many of his best known 
works. 

One of his most charming pieces, transmitted to 
us from antiquity, is that of "Cupid and Psyche," 
and the artist has caught the moment when Cupid is 
hastening to the assistance of Psyche. 

About this time Napoleon planned a visit to Rome, 
and the French Academy there, being entrusted with 



THORWALDSEN AND HIS ART 297 

the decoration of the Quirinal for the conqueror's 
reception, committed to Thorwaldsen the execution 
of a frieze representing the "Entry of Alexander 
the Great into Babylon," and in this work he achieved 
great success. 

The bas-relief of "Night" was thought out during 
a long restless vigil, and the next morning he got up 
and modelled it as we see it to-day, and in ^the af- 
ternoon he made the companion piece of Day. 
Though the idea, as expressed in these two well 
known reliefs, is one that permeated the ancient 
Greek myths, yet he had a picture in his bed-cham- 
ber in Rome called "Veiled Night," and this may 
have furnished him the suggestion for the relief ot 
"Night," which is represented under the image ot a 
handsome woman, who, with drooped head and 
closed eyes, flies with gently moving wings out from 
the starry firmament over the earth. She has a sort 
of scarf tied around her head beneath a wreath ot 
poppies. On her arm she holds the genu of Sleep 
and Death. It was completed by Thorwaldsen with- 
out the owl which is seen in the rear, but the man 
who made the cast suggested this addition. In con- 
tra-distinction. Day, or Aurora, hovers on hght wings, 
scattering morning roses over the Eastern skies. On 
her shoulders the gay Hesperus leans, lifting his 
torch, whose glittering light invites terrestrials to 
work and activity. The "Night" was the favorite 
one with Thorwaldsen himself, as it is with most 
connoisseurs of to-day. Both were executed in mar- 
ble first for Lord Lucan, and then for .Prince Bret- 
ternick of Austria. In 18 15 the "Day" was en- 
graved for the reverse of a medal struck in honor ot 
Prince Liegnitz of Germany. No bas-relief of mod- 
ern times has been received with so much approbation 
and interest as these two that have a world-wide rep- 
utation. In the street of Condotti, and on the Corso 



298 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

in Rome, every other art window will have copies 
of these famous reliefs cut in stone and shell, or cast 
in plaster. 

One of the most popular of Thorwaldsen's groups 
is that of "Ganymede and the Eagle." In this we 
behold the beautiful, divine cup-bearer giving the 
eagle of Jupiter a drink of sweet nectar. So deli- 
cately is the whole modelled that it seems as if we 
can see the fluttering of the wings of the eagle as 
Ganymede raises the cup to his beak and begins to 
talk to him. 

After twenty-five years this artist, now become 
truly great, visited his native land for the first time, 
and was overwhelmed with honors. The King asked 
him to make several statues for the State Church in 
Copenhagen. The gable of this edifice was decorat- 
ed with a large group entitled, "St. John the Bap- 
tist Preaching in the Desert." The interior has 
statues of the apostles on each side of the nave or 
main part, while at the end there is a figure of Christ 
ten feet high. 

It is said that, after making five models which he 
broke up, this form was revealed to him, and he ex- 
claimed: "Now I have it, this it must be." The 
risen Saviour is represented as appearing to His dis- 
ciples and saying: "Peace be with you." The 
hands show the print of the nails and the outstretched 
arms invite all who are heavy laden to come to Him 
and seek rest. Before it on the floor is the "Angel 
of Baptism." All these pieces he executed in Rome 
where he now had become so popular that he was 
elected president of the Academy of San Luca in 
1825. 

The monument of Pope Pius VII. in St. Peter's, 
Rome, was executed by Thorwaldsen in 1830, and 
is one of the groups that elicits words of praise from 
jthe visitor. 



THORWALDSEN AND HIS ART 299 

In the following years his hand was busy, and 
many were the bas-reliefs and statues which he pro- 
duced. Different monuments of this artist in vari- 
ous parts of Europe show the wide-spread desire for 
his works. 

We find in Cambridge an excellent statue of Lord 
Byron executed by Thorwaldsen. The "Lion of Lu- 
cerne" wrought out of the side of the cliff in that 
city, is a most wonderful work; the "Hope" for the 
tomb of the Humboldt family near Berlin is greatly 
admired by every German; while the "Copernicus" 
at Warsaw is no less revered by all Poland. 

In 1838 the King of Denmark invited this ar- 
tist to return to his native land, and the simple wood 
carver's son was conducted thither In a royal Dan- 
ish frigate, which carried the most of his works. He 
was received by his countrymen like a conquering 
hero, and his entry Into Copenhagen was a most tri- 
umphal one. Here, in the midst of admiring friends, 
he spent the closing years of his life. 

With a heart full of love for his people he pre- 
sented his works to his native town. They are nearly 
all here, four-fifths of the out-put of a life-time, the 
creations of his cunning chisel, preserved in a som- 
bre building which was erected partly at his own 
cost, and partly by subscriptions from the King and 
the people. In addition to his own works the mu- 
seum contains a quantity of rare and wonderful 
objets d'art which he collected, — many of them pres- 
ents from his Italian contemporaries. As we look 
upon them we wonder how such a prodigious num- 
ber could have been the work of one man. They 
are beautiful and ornate and, though they may not 
grip one to the very heart strings, yet they are born 
of the exuberance of a divine soul. They are the 
expression of an individual nature that was deeply 
religious, and of a mind that was pure and noble. 



300 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

There is evidently in the artist a healthfulness and 
harmony which were not in accord with turbulence 
and tragedy. He looked upon his fellow-men with 
gentle and peace-loving eyes, though he was not de- 
void of humor when Cupid came into the play. He 
shunned the representation of suffering, but loved to 
depict the naturalness and simplicity of childhood, 
the enjoyments of life as seen in youth, and the vigor 
and majesty of old age. 

His last work was a partially completed bust of 
Martin Luther which shows a lump of clay pressed 
against it, while the spatula is left sticking in the 
mass. At the evening meal of that day he was cheer- 
ful and gay, but before it was over he remarked: 
"Now I may just as well die to-night as at any time, 
for I hear that the architect has planned my grave 
at the Museum." His daughter, sittipg at his side, 
said: "Why, father do you say such a thing?" 
"Yes," he replied, "my doom is sealed frorri above, 
I feel that the messenger of death is on his way." 
"Oh, no such thing, father," the daughter said, but 
soon the artist went to the theater where he had an 
engagement. Before he left he was stricken with 
apoplexy and died in a short time. 

The next day at noon-tide a sad companv of young 
artists moved across the courtyard of Charlotten- 
burg, carrying the body of their revered master to 
the Academy of Arts where it rested on the very 
spot on which he stood fifty years before when he 
had received the golden m.edal. Around the bier 
young artists kept loving watch, night and day. 

In the large capital there was mourning, from the 
monarch to the plainest laboring man. 

In the morning of the day of the interment the 
streets through which his body was to be borne, were 
washed and strewn with flowers, while from the win- 
dows and balconies a rain of blossoms fell upon the 



THORWALDSEN AND HIS ART 301 

casket, on which was placed his chisel, and at his 
head was a garland of flowers twined by the Queen's 
own hand. 

Thus was the body borne to its last resting place 
in the courtyard of the Museum, as the artists sang 
a song beginning with these lines : 

"Our eyes suffused with a bitter tear, 
We bear the pride of Europe on the bier." 

No marble shaft marks the spot, only a simple 
mound covered with green ivy, symbolical of his 
memory, which will ever be undying in the hearts of 
his country-men. What need has he of bronze or 
marble for a memorial, while all around, in every 
direction, figures and groups bear mute witness to one 
of the richest artist lives that has ever been born. 

Nov/here else in the world is there a museum 
which, in itself, constitutes a memorial to one man's 
personality, and one man's work. 

He sleeps in the courtyard under the green ivy, 
and, though dead, the warm breath of his divine 
genius and unsurpassed talent still speak to us, for 
he has received the decision of the world's supreme 
art court that his name shall stand on the rolls of 
immortality. 

If we could embody his life in a single emblem, 
it would be sort of a composite, fashioned from his 
own master-pieces. We would make it a young lion, 
quiet and beautiful to look upon, but with his eye 
full of fire and energy, with his paw, not upon the 
shield of the Bourbon lilies, as seen in the Lucerne 
monument, but it should rest upon the scroll of hu- 
manity; he should be decked with ivy and laurel, 
with children, and cupids playing about him, and this 
monarch of the forest should be led by the "Three 
Graces." 



CHAPTER XXVIII 
In the Chateau Country 

ONE has only to ride three hours south from 
the great capital to reach the Chateau coun- 
try in which much of French history, dur- 
ing the sixteenth century, centered. These 
old castles were constructed for defense as well as 
for architectural splendor, and for those times they 
served their purpose well. They were built when 
a laborer's hire was only six cents a day so that in- 
numerable men were employed in their construction. 
One of the most interesting is the chateau of Blois 
situated in the center of that old town which has 
many sculptured houses .and whose narrow, winding 
streets climb erratically up the steep hillsides. 

"Deserted Blois! thy vases of yore 
Aloft the royal lilies bore; 
Yet lurked thy gloomy towers beneath 
Treason and murder, blood and death, 
When Henry steeped his soul in crime, 
And Catherine sought to master Time." 

The oldest part of the chateau dates from the 
thirteenth century, but the north wing was built by 
Francis I. and this portion displays all the architec- 
tural luxury of the Renaissance. However, that which 
we most admire is the great circular staircase on the 
courtyard side of the chateau. It is built of stone 
and projects beyond the facade in an open, octagonal 
tower with large rampant bays and finely sculptured 
decorations. Once within the walls we are reminded 
of the eventful episodes which have made this pile 

302 



IN THE CHATEAU COUNTRY 303 

historic. Here is the throne room in which Henry 
III. convened the states-general of 1576 and 1588. 
With the latter the most tragic event in the history 
of Blois is connected. 

Henry III., afraid of the power and ever-growing 
popularity of the Due de Guise, had him assassinated 
almost under his very eyes, Dec. 23, 1588. At the 
same time he put his brother, the Cardinal de Lor- 
raine, into a dungeon where he was murdered the 
next day. Catherine de Medici, who was at that 
time very seriously ill in an upper story, died a few 
days later. 




Salamander — Emblem of Francis I 

These two murders remain a mournful memory of 
the chateau, which the kings of France henceforth 
abandoned. Louis XIII. had his mother, Marie de 
Medici imprisoned here but she succeeded in escap- 
ing by letting herself down from a window, after 
being in captivity for two years. Louis XVI. con- 
verted it Into barracks in 1788 and the work of dev- 
astation was only stopped when, in 1841, it was 
decided to restore it, and preserve it as an historical 
monument which should be kept in repair out of the 
public funds. 

Ten miles across the country Is situated the cha- 
teau of Chambord in the middle of a vast wooded 
park of 1,400 acres, enclosed by a wall twenty-two 



304 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

miles In circumference, the whole being in the very 
heart of the great forest of Boulogne. Francis I. 
had a hand in planning this chateau for he intended 
that, by erecting it, he would be considered one of 
the greatest builders of the world; accordingly he em- 
ployed 1, 800 men for fifteen years in Its construction 
and then it was left for Louis XVI. to finish the 
Immense pile. The chief exterior characteristic of 
this chateau Is the striking simplicity of the lower 
parts in comparison with the profusion of domes, 
spires, and battlements adorning the upper portions. 
Further down on the banks of the Loire, 

"Through tufted heights and woodlands green 
Fair Chaumont's donjon lowers between." 

This chateau Is the only one which seems to be 
really Inhabitable, or to have anything of the home- 
like atmosphere. 

The beautiful grounds and the site, commanding 
a superb view of the course of the river, render it 
especially attractive. In 1560 Catherine de Medici 
purchased this chateau, but soon compelled her old 
rival, Diane of Poitiers, to give her Chenonceau in 
exchange. The tastes of this queen can be seen in 
the tapestries, carved furniture and many other ar- 
ticles. Franklin was received here and within these 
walls Mme. de Stael found refuge when pursued by 
the hatred of Napoleon. 

Not far distant is the Amboise chateau: 

"Fortress and prison, pride and shame, 
That makes, yet mars, a nation's fame." 

The historical annals of this Imposing pile were 
brought to a close when in 1560, fifteen hundred Hu- 
guenots were massacred under the very shadow of 
its walls. Charles VIII., who was born here, and 



IN THE CHATEAU COUNTRY 305 

spent most of his life on these grounds, met his death 
by hitting his head against the lintel of a doorway 
through which he was passing while on his way to 
play a game of tennis.* 

This well known monarch did much toward recon- 
structing the chateau, and the present chapel, which 
is a veritable gem of Gothic architecture, is due to 
his efforts. Under a flagstone in this chapel rest 
the bones of Leonardo da Vinci, whom Francis I. 
brought from Italy to Amboise to help decorate the 
walls of the chateau. In the town is the manor of 
Clos-Luce where this celebrated artist died on the sec- 
ond of May, 15 19. 

Eight miles south of Amboise is situated the cha- 
teau of Chenonceau, and the road thither lies in the 
midst of vineyards and waving grain. Men and wo- 
men are busy in the fields for the wheat is already 
ripe for the sickle, and we meet loads of it piled 
high on the two-wheeled carts which are carrying 
it to the village home of the farmer. Our driver 
stops at a peasant's house and gives us an opportunity 
to see his dwelling. Built of brick or stone these 
abodes are very warm— in fact, too much so in sum- 
mer when the tiny windows admit but little air. The 
low, timbered ceiling, the stone floor, the fireplace, 
the beds in the side walls and the lack of modern 
conveniences do not render this kind of home particu- 
larly attractive. 

At another place we witness the process of making 
wine. There are some modern presses in the country, 
but most vineyard owners still adhere to the old- 
fashioned methods — treading the grapes in huge hogs- 
heads — and pressing the pulp by means of a large 



*The inhabitants claim that this noted game originated in 
this very locality. 



3o6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

wooden screw and hand bars. The barrels, containing 
the wine, are stored in natural caverns which are found 
in the limestone rocks of this region. Sometimes they 
are allowed to remain in these dark holes many years 
for the older the wine is, the more valuable it be- 
comes. 

The long avenue of plane trees, leading up to the 
chateau of Chenonceau, affords the visitor a pleas- 
ing impression of this royal abode. A draw-bridge 
gives access to the rectangular terrace which is sur- 
rounded by a wide moat of running water. On the 
right is the keep, or donjon, a fine round tower of the 
fifteenth century. Catherine de Medici loved this 
place, and left many relics of the days she spent within 
these walls. The richness of the decorations is par- 
ticularly noticeable, while the frequent occurrence 
of the monogram containing the initials C. and H. 
shows how this ambitious woman was willing to 
recognize, at least, the name of Henry, her husband, 
though she aspired to hold the reins of power. 

One of the oldest chateaux is that of Langeais, dat- 
ing back to 990. Being absolutely perfect now, in its 
restored condition, this fortress has great interest be- 
cause of its architecture, its furniture of a very early 
period and many artistic objects, all of which give 
the place its animated character of former times, and 
present a complete and harmonious ensemble. Just 
opposite the chateau is the house where Rabelais 
lived for many years. 

The chateau which is especially interesting to the 
English is that of Chinon, because it came into the 
possession of Henry II. of England, and this mon- 
arch preferred it to all other continental towns. He 
died there in 1 189, and was buried near by at Fontc- 
vreault. According to local tradition, his son Rich- 
ard, Coeur de Lion, mortally wounded at the siege 
of Chalus, was conveyed to Chinon and died there 



IN THE CHATEAU COUNTRY 307 

also. It is certain that he was hkewise interred at 
Fontevreault where his statue and tomb are still to 
be seen, though it is claimed that his heart was placed 
in the cathedral of Rouen. 

The chateau at Angers is one of the best preserved 
in all France. It is most formidable looking with 
its seventeen round towers, seventy feet high. 

A deep and wide fosse completely surrounds this 
castle, except in one place where there is a large gate- 
way and a perfect portcullis. 

This tower was the birthplace of the artist David, 
who gave to the city nearly all the models of his 
works, and they can be seen in the library. 

The annual fair of St. Mortri is being held here, 
and we never saw such quantities of flowers and fruit. 

Large piles of chestnuts are heaped high beside 
the streets. The peasants use these in winter in the 
place of meats. 

We see six large gray Percheron horses being led 
to this fair, and it reminds us of Rosa Bonheur's 
picture entitled, "The Horse Fair." 

Many other chateaux can be found in this region, 
all of which possess more or less historical interest, 
while the majority are attractive because of their ar- 
chitectural splendors, beautiful carvings, fine furni- 
ture, rich tapestries, exquisite gold and silver vessels, 
rare jewels, old paintings, statuary and other works 
of art to be found within their walls. We look upon 
them with interest, yet feel withal that these builders 
were simply glorifiers of self, and, through self's 
handiwork, sought to produce that which each hoped 
and determined should be a world's architectural mar- 
vel. 

There was no sacredness of purpose, no grandeur 
of conception for the betterment of the masses. Had 
their subjects not been taxed for these great expendi- 
tures, or had the money been spent for the general 



3o8 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

education and welfare of the people there 
would have been no Reign of Terror, and the 
pages of French history would not have been dyed 
so deeply in the nation's life blood. 



CHAPTER XXIX 

Sketches in Spain 

THE Spanish coast is fast receding in the 
distance, and we begin to feel that we are 
really homeward bound. 
This last look recalls the delightful ex- 
periences which have been ours since we entered Spain 
some weeks ago. We crossed the frontier at 
Irun, near the watering place of San Sebastian which 
nestles white upon the sea-coast, within the arms of 
the brown mountains that shut in the landscape on 
both sides, and trend away up to the general Py- 
renean chain. 

In this part of Spain there is much wood upon the 
hill-sides which are dotted with picturesque churches, 
and comfortable looking farm houses. The land has 
the appearance of being well cultivated, and every- 
thing betokens a degree of prosperity not to be found 
in all parts of the country. This may well be the 
case, for this section is occupied by a people called 
Basques who proudly claim that they are the oldest 
race in Europe, being of pre-Aryan descent. There 
are 500,000 of them, and, until 1876, they had al- 
ways enjoyed immunity from taxation and military 
service. They are superior in every way to the or- 
dinary Spanish peasant, while their land shows much 
better cultivation. 

We soon discover that the railroads in this country 
are not of the best, and that first class compartments 
on a train here are about equal to second class in 
other lands. However, there is not the delay inci- 
dent to travel that we had anticipated. All that is 

309 



3IO OUR YEAR ABROAD 

necessary Is an extra amount of patience, a little 
knowledge of the language, and a confidence in one's 
ability to travel in this land, unattended by couriers. 

We had distrusted the climate, fearing that it 
might be hot in summer, but we find the nights cool, 
and the days not uncomfortably warm, if we keep on 
the shady side of the street. Our first night is spent 
on the train, and so cool is it that we feel the ill ef- 
fects, and are glad when we alight at the Escorial 
the next morning, and can enjoy the sun's rays. 

This place is visited chiefly because here is the 
Pantheon which is the burial place of nearly all the 
kings, and mothers of kings of Spain. Under the 
high altar in the church is this octagonal crypt, only 
thirty-five feet in diameter, and the same in height, 
lined with richly polished marbles. The whole wall 
is occupied by a series of niches, in which stand black 
sarcophagi, exactly alike. There are only a few va- 
cant places, and these look as if they were grimly 
awaiting the living. The desolation of the town, and 
its barren appearance are in striking contrast with 
Madrid. 

The brilliant, eager, modern life of this capital at 
once interests the traveler, though the luxury and the 
display may be well nigh oppressive in their ostenta- 
tion. Apparently, the city never sleeps, nor stays 
its chatter, yet its ways are so very slow and pro- 
saic that oxen are often used as burden bearers. Prob- 
ably, of all European centres, Madrid has the few- 
est fine buildings, there being no cathedral, and no 
really beautiful structures to which the people can 
point with pride, and yet traces, traditions, and treas- 
ures of art abound on every side. 

Some of the principal thoroughfares are badly 
kept, in fact, the English queen looks out of the front 
of her palace upon a street with ruts and mud pud- 
dles. It is claimed that in this city, as in no other 



SKETCHES IN SPAIN 311 

European metropolis, the life blood of the nation 
beats to its truest pulse, and the events of Spanish 
history would probably corroborate this statement. 

There are beautiful parks, drives, streets, shops 
and crowds of people, in which one can find a vast 
amount to entertain and interest. But above and be- 
yond all these we look upon the Prado picture gal- 
lery,— alone well worth a trip to Spain— the Arme- 
ria, containing the finest collection of armour in the 
world; the Biblioteca Nacional, including the arche- 
ological and natural history collections, as well as the 
modern paintings. The early Christian and Moorish 
objects found here have a special historical signifi- 
cance, but the Oriental and Egyptian relics are none 
the less interesting. The fine detail painting in 
Velasquez's historical pictures is better understood 
after one has seen the contents of the Armeria. This 
collection shows the methods of warfare employed 
in olden times, with all the gruesomeness of reality. 
The kings and great men who have figured so con- 
spicuously in Spanish history, confront us on all sides. 
Here is Charles V., panoplied in the very suit of mail 
that he wore at the battle of Muhlberg where he was 
so overcome by age and illness that he had to be 
placed upon his horse. 

Near by is Elector John of Saxony, a prisoner of 
war in the same battle. Soon we come face to face 
with Columbus, Pizarro, Cortez, Ferdinand, Isabella 
and many others whose names are noted in the an- 
nals of Spain. They are all here, and their children, 
also clad in childish armour, — each bearing his sword, 
as if he could not be trained in the use of this weapon 
at too early an age. 

There are good works of Spanish artists In many 
other countries, but in the Prado one is not obliged 
to walk miles before coming to the originals of pic- 
tures by Velasauez or Murillo with which he has 



312 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

been familiar from childhood. 

Here we see what a real Velasquez is, — how ac- 
curately and powerfully he represented the men and 
women among whom he lived. Yet, not simply are 
his portraits masterpieces, but in character and ani- 
mal studies, in landscape, and in historical subjects, 
we find him doing all with most successful results. 
How keenly we regret that this many-sided artist led 
so busy a life— courtier as he was— that he had short 
hours left for work, and often failed to finish what 
he had begun. 

Murillo has always pleased us, and his works are 
found in many galleries. We have seen his Madon- 
nas at Rome and Florence, the Beggar Boys in Mu- 
nich, the St. Anthony and the Christ child in Berlin, 
his religious pictures in St. Petersburg, the St. John 
in London, the Immaculate Conception in Par- 
is, and the John the Baptist as a Child, in 
Viennaj but while these scattered paintings are most 
attractive, yet the artist can be best appreciated on the 
soil where his talent was indigenous. 

The room devoted to his works in the Prado is re- 
plete with interest, — almost every picture being a 
treasure, but his composition, his mastery of color, and 
pretty conception of character is best exhibited in the 
Children of the Shell, where the Christ child is of- 
fering water to the youthful St. John. These, as 
well as the wanton cherubs in the clouds, show that 
the artist was no less successful with these little ones 
of a noble mould, than when he transferred the chil- 
dren of the gutter to canvas with such unexampled 
fidelity. This class of Murillo's pictures always 
touches the mother's heart. 

It is sometimes asserted that It is only in Seville, 
his native city, that this painter can best be studied, 
and certainly there is a certain charm in looking at 
his works in a place where the people revere his 



SKETCHES IN SPAIN 313 

memory as that of a fellow-townsman. One sees here, 
as In the Prado, how unfailingly honest he was in his 
devotional feeling. No uncertain praise can be ut- 
tered, when standing before such a masterpiece as the 
St. Anthony, in the cathedral of Seville, or the St. 
Francis in the museum of that city. It seems as if we 
were looking at the living Christ, and two real, liv- 
ing monks. There is no lack of divinity on the one 
side, or of humanity upon the other. Perhaps these 
are his best, most powerful pictures in Seville, not to 
say in the world. And it would be no unmerited en- 
conium, if we should style the first, one of the 
world's great masterpieces. This picture is doubly 
interesting to us now, for in November, 1874, the 
figure of the St. Anthony was cut out by some one 
who had hidden in the cathedral over night and did 
the execrable deed. About two months afterwards 
the missing portion was offered to a young German 
artist in New York, who communicated with the 
Spanish consul In that city, and ultimately the guilty 
person was caught, brought to justice and is now 
working out a term of fourteen years in the Seville 
prison. Within seven months the stolen portion was 
Inserted again— the work of restoration being so skill- 
fully done that the damage is hardly noticeable. There 
Is a long array of Murlllo's works found here, rang- 
ing from the efforts of his early, struggling years to 
the great subjects over which he spent the best part 
of his life. 

In the museum there are over twenty examples 
— the best being St. Francis, just mentioned, and 
among the others, the St. Thomas Distributing Alms 
to the Poor, — "my picture," as he was wont to call It. 
Long do we linger before these wonderful canvases, 
which seem well nigh perfect in conception and com- 
position, drawing and coloring, while the smallest 
accessories are painted with marvellous care. These 



314 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

pictures alone should place Murillo in the front rank 
of painters, if they do not constitute him the foremost 
artist of the age. In fact, we believe that man never 
depicted both the divine and the human with the in- 
sight of such genius as is displayed in the works of 
this artist. Though he never quitted Spain, and 
painted only from what he found close at hand, still 
many of his pictures are in foreign lands. Some of 
them were ruthlessly cut from their frames by the 
French invaders, wrapped around their flagstaffs and, 
in this way, were borne out of the country, many of 
them afterwards being sold to various museums. 

There are other artists in Spain, like Goya, Ri- 
bera, Zurbaran, and Leal, whose names have scarcely 
traversed beyond the Pyrenees, but whose works are 
a revelation to the traveler. 

Seville has many attractions besides its art galler- 
ies. The Alcazar, which was the old Moorish pal- 
ace, is the residence of the King of Spain where he 
and his family spend twenty days every spring. 

A Spaniard assured us that nowhere in the country 
was Alfonso as safe as in Seville. The people of the 
city are fond of him, and he loves to dwell in their 
midst. He even goes out on the streets incognito. 
While walking around in that manner, on the oc- 
casion of his last visit, a friend recognized him and 
accosted him, saying: — "Hello, Alfonso?" The 
king appreciated the joke, and shook hands most 
courteously. 

This Alcazar is decorated in true Moorish style, 
and with its beautiful gardens and fountains is sort 
of an Alhambra on a small scale. 

The Sevillians are justly proud of their cathedral 
which they consider the third in the world. It stands 
upon a stone platform, which has Roman pillars, and 
in medieval times, if a criminal could get within them 
he would find a place of refuge under the jurisdic- 



SKETCHES IN SPAIN 315 

tion of the church. It is said by some that the first 
view of the interior of this cathedral is "one of the 
supreme moments of a hfe-time." Be this as it may, 
the glory and majesty of it all are most impressive. 
The vista of nave and aisles, with their towering and 
massive columns is singularly beautiful. This ca- 
thedral is particularly rich in old stained glass win- 
dows, silver altars, jewelled censers, chalices, crosses, 
golden keys, silver and bronze candelabra,— one of 
the latter being so large that twenty men are required 
to lift it. In one of the aisles of the cathedral is the 
casket of Columbus which was brought from Ha- 
vana after the American war with Spain. It is 
raised at the corners on four figures, representing dif- 
ferent provinces in Spain. The tower of the ca- 
thedral is as much to Seville as is Giotto's Campanile 
to Florence, or that of St. Mark's to Venice. It is 
one of the purest pieces of Moorish work in the 
country, and was erected as a minaret for a mosque 
in 1 184, thereby being nearly 400 years older than 
the Alhambra. 

With its business-like air, shaded plazas, pretty 
gardens, and interesting buildings it seems as if Se- 
ville might be a comfortable city in which to live. 

In great contrast are Toledo and Cordova that 
appear more dead than alive; with whitewashed 
houses, wholly unattractive, except as one catches a 
glimpse through an open doorway of the patio, or 
inner court, around which the people live. Here we 
see plants, shrubs, flowers, and sometimes a fountain 
that will be sending up its silvery spray. At noon 
the shop-keepers put up their blinds, lock their doors, 
and enjoy a siesta for three hours, so that at this time 
the streets have a particularly deserted appearance. 
This noontide stillness is occasionally broken by the 
braying of a donkey, bearing a load nearly nine times 
it? size, or by the shouts of children playing in the 



3i6 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

filth and mud of the gutter, which is found only in 
the middle of these narrow passages, called streets. 
But Cordova has a mosque which is huge, wonder- 
ful in its perspective of avenues and columns, beau- 
tiful in detail and possessing an air of Orientalism 
that savors of Cairo and Damascus. Built to count- 
eract the attractions of Mecca no labor was spared 
in its construction. Having over 1,400 columns, 
1,800 suspended lamps, a pulpit inlaid with ivory 
and mother of pearl, decorations in wood and stone 
carvings that are most lace-like in their fineness, this 
great mosque must have been a marvel, but in its 
centre a Renaissance choir was thrust down so that 
its former beauty is greatly marred. 

The prevalence of the Moorish style of architec- 
ture in these places prepares one for that of the Al- 
hambra whose beauties have never been exaggerated. 

In the halcyon days of Mohammedan rule — in the 
tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries— before the peo- 
ple had yielded to the seductions of wealth and pow- 
er, the Moors endowed various cities of Spain with 
beautiful buildings, mosques, palaces, and universi- 
ties. But by the middle of the thirteenth century all 
this had fallen into the possession of Ferdinand, and 
the small province of Granada was all that was left 
of the great Moorish kingdom. Here it defied all 
the powers of Spain, and outdid itself in luxurious 
living. In this period we find a remarkable develop- 
ment of Spanish art, of which the most characteristic 
outcome is the Alhambra palace. 

As we ride into the town of Granada, through its 
dusty and squalid streets, we wonder how anything 
of beauty can be found on the high hill overlooking 
the valley of the Darro, in which the city is situated. 

We wind our way up through one of the avenues 
of the fine, old forest, and catch glimpses of gar- 
dens, resplendent with flowers and shaded with lem- 



SKETCHES IN SPAIN 317 

on, orange, fig, bananas, date palms, and other trees, 
and we begin to appreciate something of the beauties 
of the surroundings of the place which, with the for- 
tress, and various dwellings were built on the pla- 
teau. The views from all sides of this hill, 450 feet 
above the city, are simply superb. We see the hang- ' 
ing gardens of the summer palace, the tree-clad de- 
clivity of the Darro, the old church towers, while in 
the distance the snow-capped Sierras raise their glit- 
tering heads. 

An old wall, with its watch towers, surrounds the 
whole, and upon the top of the central tower of the 
fortress was first planted the standard of the last 
Chrfstian Crusade. Passing through the old judicial 
gate in the wall we find ourselves entering the palace 
proper, by means of a small wicket gate which takes 
the place of the more magnificent, ancient portal. We 
are now within the great court, 180 feet long and 
80 wide, in the centre of which is a lake bordered 
with myrtle hedges, orange and lemon trees, while 
around the whole runs a colonnade with fine pillars 
and lace-like fret work on the walls. 

Beyond is the famous Court of Lions, surrounded 
by the Court of Ambassadors, council chamber, 
throne room and harem, while underneath are found 
the chapel, bath rooms, and other half-discovered 
chambers. 

We people these courts and halls with the images 
of the past. Here is the sala in which Ferdinand and 
Isabella received Columbus ; there is the room where 
Boabdil's father slew his children; in another cham- 
ber was planned the treachery whereby the kingdom 
was handed over to the Spaniards; and thus each 
part has some tale to tell of bygone days. We leave 
it all and go down to the cathedral, in whose chapel 
Ferdinand and Isabella were buried, and see the 
crown and scimitar of this good queen, the sword of 



3i8 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

her husband, and the silver box In which she sent 
her jewels to Columbus. 

Not far away, at Pinos Ptiente, is the bridge on 
which the messenger from Isabella overtook Colum- 
bus, and asked him to return, when he, discouraged 
because he could not obtain assistance from the Span- 
ish throne, had already set out to seek the help of 
France in his undertakings. 

The country in this locality, as in all parts of 
southern Spain, is uninviting in appearance. Years 
ago the peasants cut down nearly all the trees, be- 
lieving that they afforded shelter for the birds that 
pulled their corn and ate their grain, so that the oc- 
casional orchards of orange and olive trees are like 
real oases. The barley has been cut, and it is being 
threshed on circular pieces of ground, about three 
or four rods in diameter, and paved with irregular 
stones. Over the grain laid on these floors, oxen and 
mules drag heavy rollers, in which weights of iron 
have been placed, and thus the grains are pressed out, 
and the straw reduced to chaff. These threshing 
floors resemble those seen in Syria, while the primi- 
tive methods of raising water for irrigation purposes, 
employed by the Spaniards of to-day, resemble the 
sakkieh or pumps, found along the banks of the 
Nile. 

One cannot approach Gibraltar by sea or land 
without being impressed with its great value as a 
stronghold and strategic point. 

"Upon the bristling cannoned rock 
Gibraltar sits so sullen, grand; 
Its strong, broad breast rolls back the shock 
Of war's stern waves which lash its strand. 
On Europe leans its massive arm; 
On Afric's shore it scowls and frowns." 

And this feeling is greatly enhanced as he traverses 



SKETCHES IN SPAIN 319 

its sides, and examines the fortifications. Six thou- 
sand soldiers are stationed here, and to all appear- 
ances the fortress is impregnable with its chambers 
full of guns and munitions of war, sufficient to with- 
stand a siege of ten years. 

A visit to Tangier, the seaport of Morocco, can 
be made in one day, and here we have scenes which 
are distinctively Oriental. The men wear the tur- 
ban and loose cloak, fastened at the waist with a 
girdle, while the women cover the head with a veil 
or shawl, which they will quickly pull over the face 
if the camera is directed toward them. It is said that 
they are adverse to being photographed. They also 
respect the teachings of Mohammed, who said that 
listening to songs, or looking upon pictures, would 
cause hypocrisy to spring up in their hearts. 

The sights in the market-place of Tangier are 
very curious, and remind us of Egypt. Especially 
patriarchal do two Moorish lawyers appear as they 
sit beside large, low, open windows of their diminu- 
tive office, while just outside, on the narrow side- 
walk, is a wooden stool for their client to occupy 
when he comes to consult with them. 

There is much to see in Tangier that is worthy of 
a visit, and the only disadvantage of going there is 
the landing in small boats and returning to the large 
vessel in the same manner. The water is apt to be 
rough in the harbor, because there is no break-water, 
and that is the case to-day, so that we are afraid of 
being swamped as the waves "mountain high" come 
into our craft, but the skill of these Arab boatmen 
steers us through in safety. 

It seemed quite like an English town when we 
reached Gibraltar again that night, though it is really 
a very cosmopolitan place, partaking to a certain de- 
gree, of the character of its Spanish neighbors. This 
was especially seen by the eagerness with which the 



320 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

inhabitants received a matador who was to be the 
hero in a bull fight. The bull ring is situated in 
Spain, beyond the neutral ground which is maintained 
between Gibraltar and Spain. When we reached this 
city, on the day before the fight, a Spaniard informed 
us of the prospective spectacle, and said: "You 
surely must go." "But we consider it brutal, and 
couldn't think of attending," was our reply. He 
seemed quite surprised at our views on the subject, 
but quickly retorted, "There is brutality in boxing, or 
prize fights." We appreciated the thrust at our na- 
tive country, but did not attempt to gainsay the re- 
mark, yet we felt ashamed that America should al- 
low anything, in the form of amusement or sport, 
which a Spaniard could mention on a par with bull 
fights. This same feeling came to us again the next 
day when we rushed from the dining-room in our ho- 
tel to the balcony to see what the commotion on the 
street could be. 

The matador, accompanied by a picador, and two 
banderilleros, all clad in gilt and scarlet, were enter- 
ing a carriage to go to the ring. This time we asked 
the proprietor and his wife, both very intelligent peo- 
ple, if they thought that this form of sport was de- 
clining in popular favor. Simultaneously, she said, 
"Yes," while he answered "No," and added, "The 
faster the trains go in Spain the more bull fights there 
will be." Then he proceeded to explain how it really 
required great skill to be a successful matador, and 
that there were three in Spain who never received less 
than 6,000 pesetas for a single fight, the matador who 
had just passed being one of these three, and this 
man had become a millionaire by this means, and still 
pursued his vocation, because it was so fascinating to 
him. And then came another blow at American 
sports, as he said, "You know there is brutality in 
football." The Spaniard certainly loves the bull fight 



SKETCHES IN SPAIN 321 

as the attending crowds testify, but we could not un- 
derstand the feeling of the only party of Americans, 
whom we met In Spain, when the oldest of the four 
members, a lady, told me twice that they were very 
anxious to see the bull fight which was to take place 
In Madrid the next Sunday. 

There are 245 bull rings in Spain capable of hold- 
ing 1,500,000 spectators, while over one hundred 
other towns use the market places for such purposes. 
In central and southern Spain bull fights are held on 
every Sunday and holiday from Easter till November, 
and sometimes on Thursdays also. 

People informed us in Madrid that the better class 
of Spanish women did not now attend these exhibi- 
tions, and that the English queen's influence In this 
respect, was being felt. But It will be a long time 
before bull fighting can be abolished. Neither mon- 
archy nor republic, neither pope nor clergy, has been 
able to eradicate this passion of the Spanish people. 
We believe it has been these brutal spectacles which 
have kept alive their seeming love for bloodshed, 
and given them so little respect for life and property. 
And not till bull fighting has been relegated to the 
past will Spain take her place by the side of the other 
Latin nations. It is claimed that the Spaniard of to- 
day is honest above those In some European coun- 
tries, yet traditions are such that you expect to be im- 
posed upon at nearly every turn. He may be re- 
ligious and patriotic, yet the notes heard In reference 
to the mistrustfulness of church and state, and the 
desirability of their separation, are no uncertain 
sounds. We are told that he is sober, and we see 
less of beer and wine-drinking in the cafes than In 
most countries, yet the only personal attack which we 
have received was at the hands of a half-drunken 
Spanish desperado. Nevertheless, we believe that 
the country is In a state of transition, and that gen- 



322 OUR YEAR ABROAD 

eral education and popular representation will be po- 
tent factors In removing Ignorance, corruption, and 
brutal passions. But the way to travel through this 
country is to forget the past, put away criticism, and 
give yourself up to the enjoyment of the moment. 
This have we done, and the memory of the days 
spent, in this, the last country visited, will ever be 
full of joy and Interest. We have tried here, as 
elsewhere, to see the life of the people, rub shoulders 
with them, learn all possible concerning their arts 
and industries, civilization and government, and note 
their causes of progress. In short, we have striven 
to learn from all, following Emerson's advice when 
he said that "Every man he met was his master In 
some respect, and In that he learned of him." 

Experiences of many kinds have fallen to our lot, 
for in hardly any European city have we ever em- 
ployed a guide or courier, yet we have always sought 
to see what the city offered. 

We have been favored with health and strength, 
and have not met with accident or detention on our 
journey, — for all of which we feel thankful, and 
which we consider quite remarkable when we re- 
member that we have visited every European coun- 
try, except Servia, Roumania and Portugal, besides 
seeing portions of Asia and Africa, — going nearly as 
far south as the tropic of Cancer and beyond the 
Arctic circle on the north, while the most eastern 
city visited was Damascus, and the most western, 
Galway, Ireland. We have spent one or more nights 
In ninety-one places, and, when we reach New York, 
we can look back upon fifty-four nights on steamers, 
not all of which were enjoyable, as we were occa- 
sionally afflicted with mal-de-mer. Thirty-seven times 
have we embarked and disembarked by means of 
small boats, which is a common way at Mediterran- 
ean ports. 



SKETCHES IN SPAIN 323 

As a rule, we have met with courtesy and consider- 
ation from officials and travellers, and have learned 
anew that the world is largely composed of men and 
women of kind thoughts and purposes, while the 
memories of the trip will be most delightful, and the 
retrospect will furnish food for a lifetime. 

The longest part of the trip by far is that which 
remains after we sight the United States light-ship 
off Nantucket Island, and it is with feelings of grati- 
tude and pleasure that we complete this part of the 
journey, and realize that there is no place like home. 

Like most Americans we return to our native shores 
better citizens than when we left, yet, withal, having 
due respect for the civilization of other countries 
which has been our own inheritance, and without 
which America could never have attained the place 
that she now occupies among the nations of the earth. 



^^n 15 1912 



